Ontario tops 3,000 new COVID-19 cases Saturday, ICU numbers reach pandemic high

Ontario has topped 3,000 new COVID-19 new cases for the first time since Jan. 17 as the number of patients in the Intensive Care Unit hit a pandemic record high.

There were 3,009 cases reported Saturday with over 59,100 tests completed. Another 16 deaths related to COVID-19 were also reported.

Toronto saw the highest number of cases with 954 while Peel reported 434, and 348 cases in York Region. Outside the GTA, Ottawa had 205 new COVID-19 cases and Hamilton reported 146.

There were 3,089 new cases on Good Friday from 62,300 tests and 23 COVID-19 deaths. The province did not release new data on the statutory holiday.

A daily report by Critical Care Services Ontario, which tracks hospitalizations, stated 447 people are currently in the ICU with a COVID-19-related critical illness — up from 432 the day before.

There were 43 new admissions yesterday.

Anthony Dale, the president of the Ontario Hospital Association, said in a tweet, that 20 of those new admissions were in the Central Region, which includes York, Peel, Simcoe and Halton.

https://twitter.com/AnthonyDaleOHA/status/1378317349120528386

With the additional 39 deaths over the past two days, 7,428 people have now died in the province as a result of COVID-19 since last March.

Of the 358,558 COVID-19 cases reported in the province, 327,940 are considered resolved. There are 23,190 active cases in Ontario.

There were almost 60,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered on Good Friday. The province has now given out 2,424,063 doses.

All 34 public health units entered a province-wide shutdown Saturday morning at 12:01, aimed at curbing the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants and spiking hospitalization and ICU numbers.