Public Health Ontario has reported 2,202 new cases of COVID-19 today (Dec. 22), which is up from 2,123 new cases reported yesterday.
The province reported 21 deaths in its latest update, 11 of whom were residents of long-term care homes. Nine 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, 47 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and five COVID patients have been admitted to intensive care units.
Premier Doug Ford announced yesterday afternoon the government is implementing a province-wide shutdown effective Dec. 26 at 12:01 a.m. Details on the shutdown are available on the province's website here.
The latest update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following:
- 1,900 new recoveries
- 1,005 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, up from 915 yesterday
- There are 273 COVID patients in intensive care units (up from 265 yesterday) and 172 COVID patients on ventilators (up from 152 yesterday)
- Of the 2,202 cases reported today, 504 are from Peel, 636 are from Toronto, 218 are from York Region, 172 are from Windsor-Essex, and 46 are from Simcoe-Muskoka
- 19,300 current active cases in Ontario, which is up from 19,019 yesterday
- Provincial public health labs have processed 45,265 tests since yesterday's report, which resulted in a five 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 47,872 tests awaiting processing
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 160,255 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 136,767 recoveries and 4,188 deaths.
The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 1,078.1 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario. The weekly incidence rate in Ontario is 103.4 cases per 100,000 people from Dec. 12 to Dec. 18, which is up by 17.4 per cent compared to Dec. 6-12 when the average weekly incidence rate was 88.1 cases per 100,000 people.
In Northern Ontario, the breakdown of Public Health Ontario data is:
- Algoma Public Health: 62 cases, rate of 54.2 per 100,000 people. There are no known active cases.
- North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit: 110 cases, rate of 84.8 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 112 cases. There are 17 known active cases.
- Porcupine Health Unit: 121, rate of 145 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 125 cases and one probable case. There are eight 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: 43 cases, rate of 131.5 per 100,000 people. There are 17 known active cases.
- Northwestern Health Unit: 143 cases, rate of 163.1 per 100,000 people. The health unit has also reported two probable cases. There are seven known active cases.
- Thunder Bay District Health Unit: 506 cases, rate of 337.4 per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 522 cases. There are 98 known active cases.