Ontario reports 22 more COVID-19 deaths amid fears of ‘spring wave’

Ontario is reporting 22 additional COVID-19 deaths on Friday with hospitalizations rising nearly 8 per cent over the last week.

A total of 667 people are in hospital with COVID-related illness, compared to 615 a week ago.

Of the newly reported deaths, the Ministry of Health says seven occurred more than a month ago and were added to today’s totals as part of a data cleanup.

ICU occupancy saw a slight drop from 165 to 161 over the last day, with 89 people currently on ventilators.

The province conducted 17,654 tests over the last 24 hour period for a positivity rate of 12.6 per cent.

The 2,761 new cases of COVID-19 reported Friday is considered by experts to be vastly underreported due to testing changes, with chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, saying the real number is likely 10 times higher.

#COVID19Ontario:
Daily new cases vs. test % positivity in #Ontario
Line = 7 day moving average. #COVIDー19 #onhealth

Case counts severely undercounted due to limited testing since Dec 31 (cannot access PCR unless high-risk, rapid tests not counted). pic.twitter.com/u6X1HNw1C6

— Dr. Jennifer Kwan (@jkwan_md) March 25, 2022

Wastewater analysis sparks fears of ‘spring wave’

With changes to testing policies it’s becoming increasingly difficult to measure COVID’s spread, leading some officials to begin relying more on wastewater analysis, which has shown an uptick of viral activity recently.

Health Minister Christine Elliott indicated this was something they were told to anticipate by health care officials.

“Dr. Moore did indicate several times that as we reopened Ontario up we would see higher levels in the wastewater surveillance,” she said during a funding announcement in Ottawa on Friday. “But we are confident that we have the capabilities in our hospitals to be able to take care of anyone who needs a hospital bed or needs to be in intensive care.”

On Thursday, infectious diseases physician and scientist, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, said increased levels of COVID detected in water samples across the province seems to be signifying the “beginning of a spring wave” that could result in an increase in hospitalizations.

Dr. Vinita Dubey, Association Medical Officer of Health for Toronto Public Health, confirmed that wastewater samples have seen a recent increase of COVID levels, but said it was somewhat expected after the relaxing of public health measures.

“This is not unexpected as we’ve lifted restrictions and as COVID-19 continues to circulate in the community,” she said.

Wastewater signal for #Covid19Ontario
Source: @COVIDSciOntario
https://t.co/QonE5fMZCs pic.twitter.com/MJOW32etEp

— Dr. Jennifer Kwan (@jkwan_md) March 25, 2022