Ontario sees cases dip with over 8,000 confirmed COVID-19 infections as ICU admissions rise
Posted December 28, 2021 10:22 am.
Last Updated December 28, 2021 4:05 pm.
Ontario reported fewer than 9,000 new COVID-19 cases for the first time in several days despite the province seeing a gradual increase in COVID-19 related patients admitted to intensive care.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 8,825 new infections are being recorded in the province, down from record-breaking numbers on Christmas Day. Ontario reported 9,418 cases on Monday, 10,412 cases on Christmas and 9,826 infections on Boxing Day.
Health experts warn that the real number of COVID-19 cases is likely to be much higher as a number of hospitals and centres have reached testing limits.
Ontario is reporting seven new deaths. Supplementary data, including information on testing volumes and the positivity rate, will be released in full on Wednesday.
There are 491 people currently hospitalized with the virus. The new seven-day average of cases is 8,318, which is up from 3,153 on Saturday.
Of Monday’s new cases, 2,797 are in Toronto with 1,272 in York Region, 886 in Peel Region, and 376 in Ottawa (down from 826 yesterday). Elsewhere, the province confirmed 389 new cases in Durham Region, 399 in Halton Region and 377 in Hamilton.
New statistics released by the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) show another increase in COVID-19 related patient admissions to the ICU. On Tuesday, Critical Care Services Ontario reported 184 adult patients with critical illness caused by the virus.
OHA says 108 of these patients were ventilated, with 24 new adult admissions. The province recorded a slight uptick in ICU admissions on Monday, up from 168 to 176. The seven-day rolling average of CRCI patients in ICU is now at 169.
Updated data from Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table shows how vaccine protection with two shots has weakened over time, with the group’s director citing a need to expedite the booster rollout.
An updated look at how COVID-19 vaccine protection is waning in the province, according to Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.
Dr. Peter Jüni tells the CBC that vaccine protection has dropped to roughly 15 per cent after the province reached 90 per cent in November.
“We need to get these doses into people’s arms as soon as possible, so you see this purple line again go up,” Jüni said in the interview.
The City of Toronto announced Tuesday it had administered booster doses to more than 30 per cent of eligible residents. As new vaccine options open, Toronto Public Health says it will update residents so they can continue to get their vaccines in the New Year.
Elliott says over 144,000 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. To date, 88 per cent of eligible Ontarians aged 12 and older have received two shots of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 90.7 per cent have the first dose.
With files from The Canadian Press and Nick Westoll of CityNews
