Ontario confirms 13 new COVID-19 deaths as positivity rate falls to lowest in 3 months

Ontario is reporting 13 new COVID-19 deaths as the test positivity rate falls to its lowest level in almost three months.

It marks the first time in two days that fewer than 20 deaths have been reported by health officials. Of the deaths confirmed on Saturday, one occurred more than a month ago.

The total number of Ontarians who have died as a result of COVID-19 sits at 13,159. There have been more than 300 deaths from COVID reported in the month of May.

Health officials report 1,116 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, which is down almost 20 per cent from the previous week. The number of ICU patients remained virtually unchanged at 160. While the number of hospitalizations and ICU patients continues to gradually decline, those suffering from the virus who have to be put on a ventilator has climbed 14 per cent over the previous week.

Of those patients in hospital, 39 per cent were admitted suffering from COVID-19 while 61 per cent contracted the virus while being treated for something else. Forty-nine per cent of patients admitted to critical care were due to COVID-19.

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Provincial health officials 1,221 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, however, that number is underreported due to limitations with PCR testing across the province.

Labs processed 12,077 tests over the previous 24 hour period for a test positivity rate of 8.9 per cent, which is the lowest its been since February 28. Last week, the positivity rate was just over 10 per cent.

The province administered 23,398 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, including 2,590 third doses and 18,500 fourth shots.