Ontario is reporting 1,890 new cases of COVID-19 today, and 28 new deaths due to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 517 cases are in Toronto, 471 in Peel Region and 187 in York Region.
In the province’s long-term care homes, 618 residents currently have COVID-19 and 11 new deaths have been reported today.
The province says 115 of its 626 long-term care homes are experiencing an outbreak.
It also reported 207 new COVID-19 cases related to schools, including at least 174 among students.
Those bring the number of schools with a reported case to 866 out of Ontario’s 4,828 publicly funded schools.
Meanwhile, hospitals in Ontario’s York Region said they have reached a “tipping point” in COVID-19 admissions.
A joint statement from the CEOs of Mackenzie Health, Markham Stouffville Hospital and Southlake Regional Health Centre highlighted a “significant increase” in admissions due to the novel coronavirus in recent weeks.
The group said they were concerned that the trend could impact access to other health care, like scheduled surgeries, and called on residents to wear masks in public and forgo gathering over the holidays in order to protect the community.
York Region is currently in the red level of the province’s pandemic response framework – the strictest public health measures short of a lockdown.
