Ontario confirms 514 new COVID-19 cases, pushing total to nearly 9,000

Ontario reported 514 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, a six per cent increase that brings the provincial total to nearly 9,000 since the outbreak began in late January.

The province also completed 9,001 tests since its last update on the novel coronavirus, topping the target of 8,000 daily tests by today that was set last week.

There is, however, an important caveat for the testing figures provided today.

Yesterday, public health officials changed how they are counting tests. Previously, they reported how many people were being tested each day. Now, they are reporting how many samples are being processed each day.

That means that some of the 9,001 samples could have come from, for example, the existing testing backlog or from hospitalized patients, from whom a minimum of two samples are collected and processed by labs. It does not mean that 9,001 more people were tested since the last update.

Further, the change makes it impossible for the public to know how many people in Ontario have been tested for the novel coronavirus.

Ontario’s official death toll from COVID-19 now sits at 423, though CBC News has collected data from regional public health units and counted at least 445 deaths across the province. Nearly 4,200 cases that have been resolved.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 rose slightly, from 795 to 807. Meanwhile, those in intensive care units dropped to 248 from 254. But the number of cases on ventilators — an important factor in how hospitals are able to cope with the influx of COVID-19 patients — increased from 188 to 200.

The growth in total cases has been relatively low for about a week, and Ontario health officials have said the peak is expected this week. Some 980 cases are health-care workers.

Situation in long-term care homes

Included in today’s official report from the province are the following figures regarding Ontario’s 626 long-term care facilities:

• 162 residents have died from COVID-19.
• 933 residents have been infected by the novel coronavirus.
• 530 staff members have been infected by the novel coronavirus.
• 104 homes have COVID-19 outbreaks (though Premier Doug Ford said during his daily news conference on Wednesday that the most current figure is 114 known outbreaks).

Revised testing guidelines

Ontario is also expanding its testing for COVID-19 priority groups, including for residents and staff of homeless shelters and group homes, people living with health-care workers and cancer patients.

A spokeswoman for Health Minister Christine Elliott said the new guidelines will help Ontario take full advantage of the testing capacity it has built, and will help the province more effectively identify and contain cases among vulnerable populations.

The new guidelines say people living and working in “congregate” settings such as homeless shelters, correctional facilities and group homes should be tested as soon as possible if they have symptoms such as fever, pneumonia or “any new or worsening symptom.”

Essential workers, cross-border workers, and people living with health-care workers, care providers and first responders are also now to be tested as soon as possible if they develop symptoms.

The guidelines also say people who need to be in frequent contact with the health system, including cancer patients, people undergoing dialysis and pregnant women should be tested as soon as they develop symptoms.

Symptoms are now defined as fever, pneumonia, “any new or worsening symptom” such as cough or shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, or nasal congestion, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, new smell or taste disorders, nausea, vomiting, diahrrea, or abdominal pain.

Testing asymptomatic people is still not recommended, except for newborns whose mothers have COVID-19.

Elliott is expected to join Premier Doug Ford at his daily COVID-19 briefing scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Queen’s Park.

2nd death at Participation House

A second resident of a facility for adults with developmental and physical disabilities in Markham, Ont., has died, according to her family.

Earl Baird told CBC News that his sister, Patricia “Patty” Baird, passed away Wednesday afternoon. Patricia had lived at Participation House for more than five years, he said. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Monday, he added.

“We all know of this dreadful virus — now our family has been personally affected,” Baird wrote in a Facebook post.

“I cannot describe the pure love and a heart that our universe could not contain that was within Patty.”

Earlier this week, administrators at the home said that 37 of its 42 residents had tested positive for COVID-19, as well as 12 staff members.

CBC