Ontario reports 17 more COVID-19-related deaths as hospitalizations continue to fluctuate.
1,662 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals, including 210 patients in intensive care.
This represents a slight decrease in general hospitalizations, but also an increase in those admitted to the intensive care unit.
At the time of publication, the province had not updated its breakdown for patients treated for COVID-19 or who tested positive after the fact.
The new 17 deaths, confirmed on Friday, occurred in the last month, bringing the number of deaths in Ontario to 12,938.
Three of the deaths were in long-term care hospitals.
With just over 17,700 tests for COVID-19 processed in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health says the province’s positivity rate now stands at about 13.8 percent. Ontario’s positivity rate remains below 15 percent for just over a week.
Officials registered 2,418 new laboratory-confirmed infections on Friday, although due to continued restrictions on PCR testing, that number is an understatement.
At the same time, the data on wastewater published by the Scientific Advisory Table for COVID-19 continue to show a reduction in the concentration of the new coronavirus in all regions.
Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr Susie Hotta told CP24 on Friday that while hospitalizations begin to decline, it will take some time.
“We are somehow stabilized in about 1,700 patients in Ontario hospitals with COVID, and that’s a lot. It really increases the stress of everything, “she said.
“Fortunately, it seems that the tide is already starting to subside in all regions of the province. But over the next few weeks and months, there is still a lot of recovery that needs to happen in hospitals.”
Hota’s comments come as three public health units are calling for the resumption of mandates for masks in schools and other indoor facilities as they struggle to be admitted to hospital.
Currently, masks are mandatory only on public transportation and health facilities in Ontario.
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