Ontario reported 124 new cases, two deaths and 163 recently recovered patients in its latest 24-hour stretch.
It’s now the second straight day that the province has recorded over 100 daily cases, after two straight days of being below that daily mark. Before the recent stretch, it had not recorded a triple-digit increase since March 24.
The latest patients were identified after the province completed 33,282 tests for COVID-19 in its latest 24-hour stretch, which is its second highest amount over the course of the pandemic.
Of the most recently identified patients, 33 were in Peel, 17 in Ottawa, and 16 in both Toronto and Windsor-Essex, according to the Ministry of Health. Twenty-eight of the province’s 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, while 16 of them reported zero.
It’s unclear what’s behind the jump in cases in Peel, but the region only trails Toronto for total cases throughout the pandemic.
Earlier this week, Ottawa health officials said they’re seeing a spike in cases related to private house gatherings, while Windsor-Essex continues to deal with agri-farm outbreaks and community spread. Windsor-Essex, the only region still in Stage 2 of the province’s reopening plan, continues to have the highest infection per 100,000 people in Ontario (543.7), after taking the top spot from Toronto two weeks ago.
“We can’t take our eye off the ball for a second. It will come back and bite us in the backside with a second wave like we’ve never seen before,” said Premier Doug Ford on July 29, after the province reported fewer than 100 daily cases for the first time in months.
In total, Ontario has had 39,333 cases of COVID-19 over the course of the pandemic. That includes 2,777 victims and 35,237 recovered patients.
Of the province’s 1,319 active cases of COVID-19, there are 73 people in hospital (down by five since Friday), which includes 27 people in intensive care (down by two), and 12 who require a ventilator (down by three).
According to the Ministry of Long-Term Care, there are 19 active outbreaks among facilities in the province, up by two. In those facilities, 10 residents are currently infected (up by one) as well as 37 staff members.
