The dire COVID-19 situation in long-term care homes continues, with the Ministry of Long-Term Care announcing 14 new outbreaks in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 145.
There has been a spike in infections, with 2,455 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 (an increase of 168) and 1,120 staff members (an increase of 31). There are now 625 deaths among residents, an increase of 52.
The Ministry of Long-Term Care’s statistics, released at 10:30 a.m., are current as of 3:30 p.m. the evening before. Their statistics are compiled through immediate contact with long-term care facilities across the province.
The Ministry of Health’s statistics are current as of 4 p.m., and are compiled through the province’s Integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS), which is reliant on local public health units inputting statistics. The system has faced scrutiny for under-reporting Ontario’s numbers; their statistics on LTCs also differ from the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Since Friday, the Ministry of Health recorded 476 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, bringing their total to 13,995.
That now includes 811 fatalities, after health officials reported 48 more COVID-19 deaths. Among the province’s total cases are 7,509 that have been resolved, an increase of 412 since Friday. There are now 925 people in hospital (an increase of 15), including 245 in intensive care (increase of two) and 195 on ventilators (an increase of two).
As of their last update, health officials in Ontario have tested 217,618 for COVID-19, while 8,171 people remain under investigation.