Public Health Ontario has reported 1,228 new cases of COVID-19 today (Feb. 20).
Today's report includes 30 new deaths, 11 were residents at long-term care homes. The province removed two previously reported deaths from the list, resulting in a total increase of 28 deaths today.
Of the deaths reported today, one was between 40 and 59 years old, nine were between 60 and 79 years old, and 20 were over the age of 80.
The province has reported 76 new hospitalizations since yesterday, and seven new admissions of COVID-19 patients to intensive care units.
The Feb. 20 update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following data:
- 1,313 new recoveries
- 10,437 active cases, which is down from 10,550 yesterday
- 699 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, up from 689 reported yesterday.
- There are 263 COVID patients in intensive care units (down from 269) and 181 COVID patients on ventilators (down from 190 yesterday).
- The province reported 57,194 tests were processed yesterday resulting in a 2.2 per cent positivity rate.
- Another 30,762 tests are still under investigation and/or being processed. To date, 10.6 million tests have been completed.
- Of the 1,228 new cases reported today, 331 are from Toronto, 228 cases are from Peel, 132 are from York Region, and 36 are from Simcoe-Muskoka
- There are 131 active outbreaks at long-term care homes, 78 at retirement homes and 38 at hospitals.
- Of the cases reported today there are 217 people under 19 years old, 436 people between 20 and 39 years old, 345 people between 40 and 59 years old, 179 people between 60 and 79 years old, and 50 people over the age of 80.
Variants of concern
- The province has reported 386 lab-confirmed cases of the UK variant strain of COVID-19 (B.1.1.7).
- The province has reported 9 cases of B.1.351 (also known as the South African variant).
- The province has reported 1 case of P.1, which is the variant strain that originated in Brazil.
- According to Public Health Ontario, there are delays between specimen collection and the testing required to confirm a variant of concern. As such, the reports can change and can differ from past case counts publicly reported.
Vaccine update for Feb. 20:
- There were 21,295 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 administered on Feb 19, which is up from 16,967 administered on Feb. 17.
- As of 8 p.m. on Feb. 19, the province reported 540,129 doses of vaccine against COVID-19 have been administered.
- In total, 229,151 people have been fully vaccinated, having received two doses of vaccine, which are to be given a few weeks apart.
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 291,999 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 274,714 recoveries and 6,848 deaths, of which 3,849 were individuals living in long-term care homes.
The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 1,964.4 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario.
The weekly incidence rate in Ontario is 50 cases per 100,000 people from Feb. 10 to Feb. 16, which is a decrease of 13 per cent compared to Feb. 4 to Feb. 10 when the average weekly incidence rate was 57.5 cases per 100,000 people.
On Friday, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reported 32 new cases of COVID-19 in the region.
Since the start of the pandemic, the local health unit has confirmed 6,099 cases of COVID-19 with 5,400 of those cases recovered and 184 cases ending in death. There are 472 active, lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, with the majority of those in Simcoe County. Twenty-two Simcoe County residents are hospitalized with COVID-19.
According to the health unit, 171 local cases have tested positive for the COVID-19 variant of concern UK B.1.1.7 and an additional 158 cases have screened positive (awaiting confirmatory testing).
The weekly incidence rate for Simcoe Muskoka is about 36 cases per 100,000 people, which is down by 20 per cent from 45 cases per 100,000 a week ago.
For the latest breakdown of cases in the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, click here.
