17 more COVID-19 deaths in Ontario, daily cases just over 1,000
Posted February 9, 2021 10:19 am.
Last Updated February 9, 2021 10:45 am.
Ontario says 17 more people have died as a result of COVID-19 with new cases just over 1,000.
The number of people who have died from the virus in the province now sits at 6,555. Of that total, 3,747 were residents in long-term care.
Provincial health officials reported 1,022 new cases on Tuesday, a drop from 1,265 cases the day before.
Most of the new diagnoses are in Toronto (343), followed by Peel Region (250), and York Region (128).
According to provincial data, 909 people are currently in hospital with 318 in intensive care and 223 of those patients are on a ventilator.
The province tested 30,798 people on Monday and 12,462 additional doses of the vaccine were administered.
So far, there are 227 confirmed cases of the U.K. variant, three of the South Africa variant, and one of the Brazilian variant.
RELATED: State of emergency expires Tuesday as Ford outlines plan to reopen economy
The province’s COVID-19 state of emergency expired Tuesday, making way for the gradual reopening of the economy.
Ontario will transition back to the colour-coded system that eases restrictions based on COVID-19 case counts in respective regions. That system has now been modified to allow some degree of in-person shopping at non-essential stores at all levels, including the grey-lockdown level.
Stay-at-home orders will remain in effect for all but three regions until Feb. 16 while hotspots Toronto, Peel and York regions will be the last to transition on Feb. 22.
