Ontario reports a drop in new COVID-19 cases, 1 million vaccine doses have been administered
Posted March 11, 2021 10:10 am.
Last Updated March 11, 2021 11:34 am.
Ontario is reporting 1,092 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths on Thursday.
Locally, there are 293 new cases in Toronto, 199 in Peel and 79 in York Region.
The province completed 60,619 tests in the last 24 hour period compared to over 54,000 tests a day ago.
Despite the increase in testing keeps the test positivity down, it drops slightly to 2.4 per cent from 2.5 a day ago. Tuesday’s positivity rate, 3.7 per cent, was the highest the province had seen in two weeks.
The latest provincial numbers confirm 35 additional cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the UK and 11 additional cases of the P.1 variant first detected in Brazil.
There are now 956 cumulative cases of the B.1.1.7 variant, 41 cases of the B 1.351 variant first detected in South Africa and 28 cases of the P.1 variant.
The province is reporting 6,513 cases where a mutation has been detected but the exact lineage cannot be determined.
The province reported 1,316 cases and 16 deaths on Wednesday.
Canada is marking the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau designated it a national day of observance to commemorate those who have died.
RELATED: Timeline: A year of pandemic life in Toronto
As of 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, 1,019,407 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered and 281,714 people have been fully vaccinated.
After the latest assessment of health data in the Public Health Sudbury and Districts region, the province is using the “emergency brake” to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
The decision was made due to concerns in public health indicators as well as in consultation with the local medical officer of health.
From March 3 to 9, the region’s case rate increased to 75.9 cases per 100,000 people.
“Implementing an emergency brake to immediately interrupt transmission of COVID-19 is a key component of our government’s plan to safely and gradually return public health regions to the Framework,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “We have seen a rapid rise in the case rate in the Sudbury area, and swift action is needed to protect individuals, families and businesses and save lives.”
The health region will move to Grey-Lockdown on Friday, March 12.
