Hospitalizations surpass 4,000 as Ontario reports 38 new COVID deaths
Posted January 18, 2022 10:30 am.
Last Updated January 18, 2022 11:25 am.
Ontario reaches a new pandemic high for COVID-19 hospitalizations as health officials report 38 additional deaths.
There are now 4,183 people in the hospital with the virus, up from 3,887 reported one day ago. The previous record for hospitalizations was 3,957 reported on Saturday.
There are also 580 COVID-19 patients in the ICU, this compares to 578 yesterday.
Fully vaccinated individuals represent 78.4 per cent of Ontario’s population and just over 34 per cent of ICU admissions.
Data from Ministry of Health showing ICU patients with known vaccination status
According to Ministry of Health data, 53.5 per cent of hospitalizations with the virus were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and 46.5 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have since tested positive for the virus. For those in the ICU, 82.1 per cent were admitted for the virus and 17.9 per cent tested positive after being admitted for other reasons.
As of Tuesday, 91.4 per cent of Ontarians 12 and older have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 88.7 per cent have received two doses. The province administered more than 39,000 vaccine doses in the last 24-hour period.
Below is the number of new COVID-19 infections and tests in Ontario. Cases are likely much higher due to changes in testing strategy across the province. More information on these changes can be found here.
The province is confirming 7,086 new cases but health officials warn the number of infections is much higher due to the province’s testing capacity and accessibility.
There were 31,355 tests completed in the last 24-hour period for a positivity rate of 24.5 per cent.
The latest case numbers comes after Premier Doug Ford said an announcement on current restrictions would be made by the end of this week.
Ontario has been in a modified step 2 of pandemic restrictions since Jan. 5, closing restaurants to in-person dining, shutting gyms and putting a 50 per cent capacity on retail. The restrictions were said to be in place until at least Jan. 26.
Ontario students were set to be back in classrooms on Monday but a winter storm delayed the return to in many parts of Southern Ontario to at least Wednesday.
Provincial data shows just over 50 per cent of kids aged 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine while 87 per cent of 12 to 17 year olds have gotten their first shot.
