Ontario reports nearly 600 new COVID-19 cases, 7-day average climbs slightly

Ontario is reporting 598 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, raising the weekly average for the twelfth consecutive day.

The seven-day average of daily infections now sits at 537 cases, reaching the highest point since Oct. 10

The province is reporting an additional five deaths due to the virus.

Of the new cases, 376 cases are in individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 222 are in fully vaccinated individuals.

There were 30,230 tests completed in the last 24-hour period, for a test positivity rate of 2.5 per cent.

Despite a rise in daily case counts, hospitalizations and ICU numbers continue to remain stable. There are 207 people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the province with 130 people in the ICU. Among the hospitalizations, 158 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

Both hospitalizations and ICU numbers are down slightly from a day ago.

Another 13,468 vaccine doses were administered over the last 24 hours, 88.6 per cent of eligible Ontarians have received one dose and 85.4 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Ontario’s science advisory table is set to release its latest pandemic projections on Friday, amid rising cases.

On Wednesday the province addressed the rising cases by announcing it was halting its plans to lift capacity limits in certain high-risk settings out of “an abundance of caution.”.

The province intended on removing a cap on the number of people permitted in nightclubs, strip clubs, sex clubs and bathhouses next Monday, on Nov.15. Chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore says the move will be delayed for at least 28 days.