Ontario Public Health has confirmed 640 new cases of COVID-19 today, another 407 recoveries, and 50 more deaths attributed to the virus.
According to the province’s daily report, there have been 12,295 tests processed since last reporting and there are another 5,414 tests awaiting results. Throughout the week, the province has reported anywhere from 9,330 to 12,295 tests processed in a day.
There have been 13,519 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Ontario since the start of the pandemic, and that includes 7,807 recoveries (52.4 per cent) and 763 deaths.
There are now 910 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, including 243 in intensive care and 193 patients on ventilators.
The breakdown in cumulative lab-confirmed cases in Ontario shows the highest number of confirmed cases (4,108 cases or 30.4 per cent) in people aged 40-59. The second highest (3,052 or 22.6 per cent) have been found in people aged 20-39. There have been 3,029 cases (22.4 per cent) in people aged 60-79 and the same number of cases in people aged 80 and over.
There are now 143 outbreaks reported in long-term care homes in the province, according to Ontario Public Health.
Data reported by the Ministry of Long-Term Care indicates there have been 2,287 residents confirmed positive for the virus and 573 have died - 105 of those deaths have reported in the last 24 hours.
Not all of the deaths reported by the Ministry of Long-Term Care have been included in the Ontario Public Health death toll reported today. The death of one personal support worker has been attributed to the virus.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed yesterday military support will be deployed to long-term care homes in Ontario.
Premier Doug Ford announced his mother-in-law has tested positive for the virus. She is a resident of a Toronto nursing home.
Ford vowed to make improvements to the province’s long-term care system.
Ford also announced he was extending emergency orders to May 6, but would not commit to cancelling the rest of the school year yet.
The emergency orders include closure of outdoor amenities, non-essential workplaces, public places, bars, and restaurants, restrictions on social gatherings, and restricting long-term care staff from working in more than one facility.
The pandemic emergency orders, which had been set to expire Thursday, will also now grant mental health and addictions agencies the ability to redeploy staff during the pandemic. Similar measures have been introduced for the health-care and long-term care sectors.
Yesterday Trudeau announced $1.1 billion in funding for a COVID-19 national research strategy. Of that, $115 million will fund research for a vaccine and $662 million will fund clinical trials. Additionally, $350 million will be allocated to expanding COVID-19 testing and modelling.
Locally, the Porcupine Health Unit is not reporting any new positive tests in the past 24 hours.
There have been 55 confirmed cases of the virus in the health unit's region. Of those, 34 cases are resolved and three people have died.
In Northern Ontario, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit has the highest number of cases, with 59. The Porcupine Health Unit, which covers Timmins and the surrounding area, still has the highest rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population among other health units in Northern Ontario. The rate there is 64.7 per 100,000 people.
According to today's report, which includes data from Jan. 15 to April 23, the number of cases at other Northern Ontario health units, as well as the rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population are:
• Algoma Public Health - 12 cases, rate of 10.5 per 100,000 population
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit - 14 cases, rate of 10.8 per 100,000 population
• Porcupine Health Unit - 54, rate of 64.7 per 100,000 population (54 cases actually been confirmed)
• Public Health Sudbury and Districts - 48 cases, rate of 24.1 per 100,000 population
• Timiskaming Health Unit - 12 cases, rate of 36.7 per 100,000
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit - 59 cases, rate of 39.3 per 100,000 population
• Northwestern Health Unit - 15 cases, rate of 17.1 per 100,000 population
In Northeastern Ontario, there are currently 140 confirmed cases, and the rate is 25 per 100,000 population. In Northwestern Ontario, there are 74 cases and a rate of 31.1. The provincial rate per 100,000 population is 90.9.
