Public Health Ontario is reporting a record 16,713 new COVID cases today, however, that total is likely an underestimate according to the province.
A disclaimer on the latest update noted increasing COVID case counts driven by omicron have made testing less available, and it has led to the daily totals being an underestimation of actual infections in Ontario. Testing is also now limited to certain high-risk groups, leaving symptomatic individuals to isolate but not get a test to confirm whether they have COVID.
There will be no provincial COVID numbers update again until Jan. 4.
The Dec. 31 updates provided by the province's public health agency and the ministry of health also reported the following data:
- 4,630 recoveries and 15 deaths since yesterday's report.
- There are 98,822 active, lab-confirmed cases, up from 86,754 yesterday.
- Today's report includes 2,278 unvaccinated cases, 647 partially vaccinated cases, 13,346 fully vaccinated cases, and 352 cases with vaccination status unknown.
- 1,144 people are in hospital testing positive for COVID-19. It's not clear how many people were hospitalized for COVID-19. The province has said changes will be made in how these numbers are reported in the coming days.
- The seven-day average by vaccination status indicated 59.8 cases per 100,000 unvaccinated people, 63.8 cases per 100,000 partially vaccinated people, and 79.8 cases per 100,000 fully vaccinated people.
- 205 people are in ICU due to COVID-19. Of those, 192 people are testing positive and 13 are testing negative. There are 104 people in an intensive care unit (ICU) on a ventilator because of COVID.
- Among the ICU cases are 89 unvaccinated people, seven are partially vaccinated, and 47 are fully vaccinated.
- Cases hospitalized, but not in the ICU, include 236 unvaccinated people, 42 are partially vaccinated, and 536 are fully vaccinated.
- 11.4 million people in Ontario (77 per cent of the population) are fully vaccinated, and five per cent of the province has one dose of COVID vaccine.
- 3.5 million people in Ontario have received a third dose of COVID vaccine.
- The province reported 75,093 tests were processed yesterday, resulting in a 29.8 per cent positivity rate.
- Today's new cases include 497 children under five, 1,068 kids ages five to 11 years old, 1,798 youth between 12 and 19 years old, 7,023 people between 20 and 39 years old, 4,607 people between 40 and 59 years old, 1,435 people between 60 and 79 years old, and 282 people over 80 years old.
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 756,361 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 647,345 recoveries and 10,194 deaths.
The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 5,133.4 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario.
Ontario's average seven-day incidence rate from Dec. 21 to Dec. 27 was 420.3 cases per 100,000 people, which increased 128.3 per cent over the seven-day period starting on Dec. 15.
For more on the province's breakdown of vaccination status, click here.
Northern Ontario
According to provincial data, in the north there are currently 38 people with COVID-19 in hospital, up from 28 yesterday. There are 10 people in ICU and four people on ventilators.
In Northern Ontario, the breakdown of Public Health Ontario data for cases and vaccination is:
- Algoma Public Health: 2,038 cases, weekly rate of 157 cases per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 2,038 cases. There are 402 known active cases. Of the eligible population five years and older, 86 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 80 per cent have both doses.
- North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit: 1,516 cases, weekly rate of 213.4 cases per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 1,519 cases. There are 448 known active cases. Of the eligible population five years and older, 84 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 79 per cent have both doses.
- Porcupine Health Unit: 2,970 cases, weekly rate of 363.5 cases per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 2,911 cases. There are 479 known active cases. Of the eligible population five years and older, 85 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 78 per cent have both doses.
- Public Health Sudbury and Districts: 5,390 cases, weekly rate of 211.4 cases per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 5,488 cases. There are 816 known active cases. Of the eligible population five years and older, 87 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 81 per cent have both doses.
- Timiskaming Health Unit: 633 cases, weekly rate of 123.9 cases per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 667. There are 169 known active cases. Of the eligible population five years and older, 84 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 78 per cent have both doses.
- Northwestern Health Unit: 1,710 cases, weekly rate of 235.3 cases per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 1,690 cases. There are 259 known active cases. Of the eligible population five years and older, 93 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 85 per cent have both doses.
- Thunder Bay District Health Unit: 4,209 cases, weekly rate of 104 cases per 100,000 people. The health unit has reported 4,167 cases. There are 312 known active cases. Of the eligible population five years and older, 87 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 81 per cent have both doses.
The data from Northern Ontario health units is based on what was available at 10:30 a.m. today.