Ontario reports highest number of COVID-19 cases in 12 weeks

Ontario is reporting 927 new COVID-19 infections on Friday as the rolling seven-day average surpassed 700 cases.

The weekly average now sits at 711, up nearly 100 cases from one week ago and reaching the highest point since Sep. 20.

The province is also reporting six additional deaths due to the virus.

Ontario reported 793 new cases last Friday.

There were 33,901 tests completed in the last 24-hour period for a test positivity rate of 3 per cent.

Locally, there are 129 cases in Toronto, 54 in Peel, 52 in York Region and 41 in Durham.

Graphic courtesty of @jkwan_md

Among the new cases, 494 are in people who are not fully vaccinated and 55 are in individuals with an unknown vaccination status. Residents who are not fully vaccinated represent just under 24 per cent of the province’s population and just over 53 per cent of Friday’s new infections.

There are 268 people in the province hospitalized with COVID-19 and 140 in the ICU. ICU occupancy is up three from a day ago and remains relatively stable despite the surge in new cases through November.

Among the individuals in the ICU, 130 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

A recent report from Public Health Ontario revealed only nine breakthrough cases of people under 60 have ended up in intensive care in the province.

The report looked at 11 months of confirmed COVID-19 infections from Dec. 14 of last year to Nov. 14 of this year.

Using the most recent 30 days of data, unvaccinated individuals were nearly five times more likely to become a confirmed case. The rate of infection in unvaccinated individuals is higher in every single age group.

An additional 19,820 vaccine doses were administered in the last day, 89.1 per cent of Ontarians 12 and older have one dose and 86.2 per cent are now fully vaccinated.

On Thursday, Ontario’s top doctor said the rise in infections is a continuation of the fourth wave that started earlier in September, and not the start of a fifth wave.

Dr. Kieran Moore said higher case counts were anticipated as people moved indoors in the cold weather and asked people to remain cautious until the weather warms up in the spring and more people become eligible for third vaccine doses to protect against the “formidable foe” of COVID-19.