Ontario Public Health reported another 421 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the province today, as well as 620 recoveries and 39 deaths.
A record 16,532 tests were processed on Wednesday to produce today's results (data is current as of 4 p.m. yesterday). There are another 11,875 tests awaiting results and the province has now processed 294,054 COVID-19 swab tests.
Another 18 patients have been reported hospitalized with COVID-19, with 225 in intensive care and 175 on ventilators.
The province has reported a total of 16,608 lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and of those 10,825 people have recovered and 1,121 people have died.
Case occurrences are slightly higher in females (57.4 per cent) over males (41.6 per cent) and the largest case count is in the 40 to 59 age group where 5,004 people have been confirmed cases (30 per cent). The next highest is the 20-39 year-olds age group where 3,786 people have been infected (22.8 per cent). There have also been 384 cases (2.3 per cent) confirmed in people 19 and under, 3,673 (22.1 per cent) in people aged 60 to 79, and 3,753 cases (22.6 per cent) in people over 80.
In total 5,900 cases have been confirmed instances of community transmission.
About 59 per cent of all of Ontario's cases have been reported by Greater Toronto Area public health units.
Ontario Public Health has reported 198 outbreaks in the province's long term care homes with 2,455 confirmed cases in residents, 1,187 cases in staff, and 541 deaths of residents.
Ontario's Ministry of Long-term Care, however, is reporting different numbers with 166 outbreaks, 2,722 cases in long-term care residents, 1,482 cases in staff, and 861 confirmed deaths of residents.
Ontario Public Health numbers typically lag behind the ministry of long-term care.
There are now 2,419 health care workers who have tested positive for the virus, which is about 14.5 per cent of cases. The Ontario government has offered priority testing to health care workers for most of the pandemic.
In Northern Ontario, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit has the highest number of confirmed cases, with 74. The Porcupine Health Unit, which covers Timmins and the surrounding area, still has the highest rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population among other health units in Northern Ontario. The rate there is 70.7 per 100,000 people.
According to today's report, which includes data from Jan. 15 to April 30, the number of cases at other Northern Ontario health units, as well as the rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population are:
• Algoma Public Health - 13 cases, rate of 11.4 per 100,000 population
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit - 14 cases, rate of 10.8 per 100,000 population
• Porcupine Health Unit - 59, rate of 70.7 per 100,000 population (60 cases have now been confirmed)
• Public Health Sudbury and Districts - 57 cases, rate of 28.6 per 100,000 population
• Timiskaming Health Unit - 18 cases, rate of 55.1 per 100,000
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit - 74 cases, rate of 49.3 per 100,000 population
• Northwestern Health Unit - 15 cases, rate of 17.1 per 100,000 population
According to the report, in Northeastern Ontario, there have been 161 confirmed cases, and the rate is 28.8 per 100,000 population. In Northwestern Ontario, there have been 89 cases and a rate of 37.5. The provincial rate per 100,000 population is 111.7