Ontario reports 111 new cases of COVID-19, as parts of province prepare for stage 3 of reopening

July 16, 2020

Much of Ontario heading into Stage 3 of COVID-19 reopening plan this Friday-Milenio Stadium-Ontario — Premier Doug Ford announced Monday that the majority of Ontario will move into Stage 3 of the province’s COVID-19 reopening plan this Friday, with the exception of the Greater Toronto Area and some other parts of southern Ontario. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Ontario reported 111 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, on the eve of much of the province moving into Stage 3 of reopening.

The additional cases bring the total in Ontario since the outbreak in late January to 37,163. Of those, slightly less than 89 per cent are considered resolved by the Ministry of Health.

Thirty of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer new cases today, while 19 of those 30 confirmed no new infections of the novel coronavirus at all.

Today’s newly confirmed cases are concentrated primarily in Toronto, Peel, Windsor-Essex and Ottawa.

There are now about 1,365 active cases of COVID-19 provincewide, and the five-day rolling average of new daily cases — a measure that smoothes peaks and valleys in data — has been in consistent decline since early June.

Further, the number of patients in Ontario hospitals with confirmed infections continues to drop, with just 107 reported today — the fewest since the Ministry of Health began reporting hospitalization figures in early April.

Twenty-six people are being treated in intensive care units, and 20 with ventilators.

The province’s network of labs processed 26,492 tests of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours. Another 25,297 are sitting in the queue waiting to be completed.

COVID-19-Milenio Stadium-GTA — Labs processed more than 26,000 tests of the novel coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)

The ministry reported an additional five COVID-19-linked deaths today, bringing Ontario’s official death toll from the illness to 2,737. A CBC News count based on data from public health units, which avoids lag times in reporting, puts the real current toll at 2,770.

At 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, 24 public health units will move into Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan, which will see many more workplaces open their doors and the return of things like indoor dining in restaurants, live performing arts shows and the reopening of movie theatres and playgrounds.

Meanwhile, the provincial government has extended pandemic emergency orders until July 29.

The orders cover the redeployment of health care workers and temporary management of long-term care homes. They also prohibit price-gouging.

CBC