Ontario is reporting 96 new COVID-19 deaths in the past week as many leading indicators of pandemic severity such as hospitalizations and positivity are heading in opposite directions.

The Ministry of Health said all of the 96 additional deaths occurred in the past 30 days.

Forty involved residents of the province’s long-term care system.

There have now been 343 deaths due to COVID-19 in the province in the past 30 days and 13,813 overall.

In hospitals, the Ministry of Health says there 1,382 people admitted with or for COVID-19 on Thursday, up from 1,322 on Wednesday but down from 1,474 one week ago.

Of those, 142 people were in intensive care, up 3 from one week ago, and 52 were breathing with the help of a ventilator.

Provincial labs processed 11,890 test specimens in the past 24 hours, generating a positivity rate of 13.4 per cent, unchanged from Wedneday.

Average weekly positivity is now 13.4 per cent, down from 14.5 per cent in the previous seven-day period.

Overall, the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says wastewater viral prevalence is increasing in the GTA and southwestern Ontario, but falling elsewhere.

Over the past 7 days, with both kids under five now eligible for first doses and adults eligible for fourth ones, the Ministry of Health says 162,575 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered. Of those, 21,065 were first doses, 7,338 were second doses, 16,388 were third doses and 117,784 were fourth doses.