TORONTO — New projections suggest the growth of the COVID-19 pandemic is slowing in Ontario even though community spread of the virus continues.
Health officials say the modelling released today shows the province appears to be moving away from the worst-case scenario as the second wave continues to take hold.
They say continuing to adopt targeted measures that account for regional variations will be important in trying to contain the spread of the virus.
Earlier today, Premier Doug Ford stressed the need for a “surgical approach” to the pandemic.
He described the latest projections as “good news” but warned residents not to ease up on public health measures such as physical distancing.
Previous projections, released late last month, showed the province recording 1,000 new daily cases by mid-October.
Ontario passed that threshold last weekend but the numbers dropped to the 800 range earlier this week, before rising again today.
The province is reporting 934 new cases of COVID-19 today, and 10 new deaths due to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 420 cases are in Toronto, 169 in Peel Region, 95 in York Region and 62 in Ottawa.
The province says it has conducted 35,621 tests since the last daily report, and has a backlog of 40,074.
In total, 322 people are hospitalized in Ontario due to COVID-19, including 77 in intensive care.
The province also reported 99 new COVID-19 cases related to schools, including at least 55 among students. Those bring the number of schools with a reported case to 581 out of Ontario’s 4,828 publicly funded schools.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 29, 2020.
The Canadian Press
