Ontario confirms 500-plus new cases of COVID-19 for 2nd straight day

For the second consecutive day, Ontario is reporting more than 500 new cases of COVID-19.

Provincial health officials confirmed 510 new infections on Friday, down slightly from 513 reported the previous day.

Of those cases, 368 are unvaccinated individuals while 57 are partially vaccinated and another 85 are fully vaccinated.

It marks the first time since mid-June the province has recorded consecutive days of more than 500 new cases.

The seven-day rolling average of new cases is just shy of 400, and has more than doubled over the past eight days.

Toronto is reporting an additional 129 new infections – it’s highest single day total since June 8. For the second straight day Peel Region confirmed more than 60 new cases with 61, and York Region reported 33 new cases.

There are 123 people in hospital as a result of COVID-19 with 114 either not fully vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown. One hundred and eleven COVID-19 patients are in the ICU – 108 of them not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

An additional four deaths were reported Friday, however, provincial health officials say due to a data clean-up two of the deaths are from two months ago. The number of Ontarians who have died as a result of COVID-19 now sits at 9,416.

Health officials say 48,682 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered on Thursday, and that 72.8 per cent of Ontarians 12-plus have now been fully vaccinated.

The province processed 23,586 tests in the previous 24 hour period with the positivity rate now sitting at 2 per cent.