Public Health Ontario has reported 2,275 new cases of COVID-19 today (Dec. 15).
While that is the highest number of cases reported in Ontario in a single day, the total reflects test results for a 26.5 hour period instead of the usual 24 hours.
Until this point, Public Health Ontario has included data collected at 10:30 a.m. the previous day (so Dec. 14 for today's report). But the province has now switched to collect data from the individual health units at 1 p.m. So today's report includes a one-time increase.
The province reported 20 deaths in today's update, including eight people between 60 and 79 years old, and 12 people over the age of 80. Of the deaths reported today, one was a resident at a long-term care home.
Since yesterday's report, 43 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and five COVID patients have been admitted to intensive care units
The latest update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following:
- 1,810 new recoveries
- 921 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, up from 857 yesterday
- There are 249 COVID patients in intensive care units (up from 244 yesterday) and 156 COVID patients on ventilators (up from 149 yesterday)
- Of the 2,275 cases reported today, 586 are from Peel, 711 are from Toronto, 154 are from York Region, and 55 are from Simcoe-Muskoka
- 319 new school-related cases reported, there have been 6,664 school-related cases reported in Ontario to date
- There are 20 schools currently closed because of COVID-19 cases, including all schools in the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit are currently closed for in-person learning
- 17,031 current active cases in Ontario, which is up from 16,586 yesterday
- Provincial public health labs have processed 39,566 tests since yesterday's report, which resulted in a 5.4 per cent positivity rate. This is the highest per cent positivity rate since Nov. 24 when it was 5.8 per cent.
- There is a backlog of 45,770 tests awaiting processing
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 144,396 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 123,373 recoveries and 3,992 deaths.
The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 971.4 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario. The weekly incidence rate in Ontario is 88.6 cases per 100,000 people from Dec. 5 to Dec. 11, which is up from 85.2 cases per 100,000 people from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5.
Yesterday the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported 121 cases in the region confirmed since Friday, and the death of a New Tecumseth man over the age of 80.
The growth rate of infections in the region is 1.8 per cent based on cases confirmed between Dec. 6 to 12. If that growth rate continues, health unit projections indicate the region could see as many as 60 cases per day by the final week of December (about 425 cases in a week).
There are more than 400 active, lab-confirmed cases in the Simcoe-Muskoka region and 12 people from Simcoe County are hospitalized.
