Ontario reports fewer than 150 COVID-19 cases for 2nd straight day

Ontario is reporting 127 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths on Tuesday.

It is the second straight day with fewer than 150 new infections. The province has reported fewer than 200 cases for 12 days in a row.

The test positivity rate is 0.9 per cent, up slightly from 0.8 per cent one week ago.

There were 13,586 tests completed in the last 24-hour period.

Locally, there are 34 new cases in Toronto, 17 in the Region of Waterloo, 14 in York Region, 10 in Peel Region, 10 in Grey Bruce and 10 in Halton Region.

There were 126 resolved cases, raising the active case count by one.

The rolling seven-day average is down slightly to 152 cases.

The province reported 130 cases and no deaths on Monday.

There are now 149 people in the ICU with COVID-19 complications and 98 ICU patients on a ventilator.

There were 132,963 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the last 24-hour period.

As of 8 p.m. Monday, 79.6 per cent of Ontario residents 12 and older have received at least one dose while 62.2 per cent are now fully vaccinated.

Ontario’s science advisory table made a recommendation on Monday for a much different school year, with the return of extracurriculars, loosening masking, distancing and cohorting rules when risk is low, and closing schools only in catastrophic scenarios.

“In-person learning is essential for the learning and overall well-being of children and youth. Therefore, barring catastrophic circumstances, schools should remain open for in-person learning,” said the advisory table.

Ontario has had the longest interruption to in-person classes in Canada.

But given high vaccination rates in the province, the science table expects low levels of transmission of the virus and hospitalizations in the fall.

On Monday, Ontario colleges and universities were told they should prepare for all in-person classes and activities to resume this fall without capacity limits or physical distancing, though many institutions will still use a mix of in-person and online learning.

The Ministry of Colleges and Universities has told the institutions to have plans for how learning will continue in the event of COVID-19 outbreaks.