Public Health Ontario has reported 2,123 new cases of COVID-19 today (Dec. 21), which is down from 2,357 new cases reported yesterday.
The province reported 17 deaths in its latest update, all were residents at long-term care homes. Five of the deaths reported today were individuals between 60 and 79 years old, and 12 were over the age of 80.
Since yesterday's report, 62 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and eight COVID patients have been admitted to intensive care units.
The latest update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following:
- 1,654 new recoveries
- 915 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, up from 875 yesterday, however, Public Health Ontario notes more than 10 per cent of the province's hospitals do not submit data to the daily bed census on weekends, so the numbers could increase once those hospitals report for tomorrow's update
- There are 265 COVID patients in intensive care units (up from 261 yesterday) and 152 COVID patients on ventilators (down from 156 yesterday)
- Of the 2,123 cases reported today, 480 are from Peel, 611 are from Toronto, 192 are from York Region, 138 are from Windsor-Essex, and 61 are from Simcoe-Muskoka
- 19,019 current active cases in Ontario, which is up from 18,567 yesterday
- Provincial public health labs have processed 54,505 tests since yesterday's report, which resulted in a 4.7 per cent positivity rate. The province's goal is to keep the per cent positivity rate below three per cent.
- Ontario's public health labs have processed more than 7.4 million COVID-19 tests since the start of the pandemic
- There is a backlog of 39,106 tests awaiting processing
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 158,053 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 134,867 recoveries and 4,167 deaths.
The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 1,063.3 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario. The weekly incidence rate in Ontario is 100.5 cases per 100,000 people from Dec. 11 to Dec. 17, which is up by 13 per cent compared to Dec. 5-11 when the incidence rate was 88.9 cases per 100,000 people.
In Northern Ontario, the breakdown of Public Health Ontario data is:
- Algoma Public Health: 63 cases, rate of 55.1 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 62 cases. There are no known active cases.
- North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit: 108 cases, rate of 83.2 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 112 cases. There are 21 known active cases.
- Porcupine Health Unit: 121, rate of 145 per 100,000 people. The health unit has also reported one probable case. There are four known active cases.
- Public Health Sudbury and Districts: 251 cases, rate of 126.1 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 254 cases. There are 10 known active cases.
- Timiskaming Health Unit: 39 cases, rate of 119.3 per 100,000 people. There are 14 known active cases.
- Northwestern Health Unit: 140 cases, rate of 159.7 per 100,000 people. The health unit has also reported two probable cases. There are two known active cases.
- Thunder Bay District Health Unit: 501 cases, rate of 334.1 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 503 cases. There are 103 known active cases.