TORONTO — Ontario is reporting 939 new cases of COVID-19 today, marking a new daily record.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 336 cases are in Toronto, 150 in Peel Region and 126 in Ottawa.
The province is also reporting five new deaths due to the virus today.
The government says it has a backlog of 58,173 tests, and has conducted 44,914 tests since the last daily report.
In total, 225 people are hospitalized in Ontario due to COVID-19, up from 192 reported yesterday.
The province says 47 people are in intensive care and 29 are on a ventilator.
The province has seen a surge in cases recently, and Ontario’s chief medical officer of health said yesterday that he had recommended new public health measures to the government to tackle the increase.
Dr. David Williams would not say what they are or when they could be implemented.
Three of Ontario’s top health advisors — including Williams — are scheduled to hold a news conference at 1 p.m. today, while the premier is set to speak to reporters later this afternoon.
Groups like the Ontario Hospital Association and Registered Nurses’ Association have called for targeted restrictions in hot spot regions.
Those include closing indoor table service in restaurants, closing bars, gyms and places of worship.
Ontario also reported 56 new COVID-19 cases related to schools on Friday, including at least 32 among students. Those bring the number of schools with a reported case to 429 out of Ontario’s 4,828 publicly funded schools.
The latest figures bring the total of COVID-19 cases in Ontario to 57,681, with 2,997 deaths, and 49,032 cases resolved.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2020.
The Canadian Press
