Ontario reports more than 2,000 COVID-19 cases a day for first time in pandemic

Ontario reported 2,275 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, in part due to timing changes in how numbers are gathered, shattering all previous records for case growth in a day.

But Tuesday’s data also revealed troubling increases in hospitalization, test positivity and overall burden of active infection across the province.

Twenty more Ontarians died of novel coronavirus infection, bringing the total dead since March to 3,992.

The count from Tuesday eclipses Ontario’s previous record of 1,983 cases, set five days ago.

The province reported 1,940 cases on Monday, 1,677 on Sunday, and 1,873 new cases on Saturday.

“Locally, there are 711 new cases in Toronto, 586 in Peel, 185 in Windsor-Essex County and 154 in York Region," Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Twitter.

The Ministry of Health said Tuesday’s total is also higher because they changed the cut-off time for when local public health units can submit data to the province, meaning Tuesday’s count allowed 2.5 more hours for data to be submitted than earlier days.

There are now more than 17,000 active cases of infection across the province, the highest that number has ever been, and 123,000 people have recovered.

One-hundred and eighty-four people have died of the virus in the past week. Only one of the deaths reported on Tuesday involved a resident of a long-term care home.

Test positivity reached 5.4 per cent, with 39,500 tests completed and another 45,770 specimens under investigation.

The number of people hospitalized in the province hit 921 today, up from less than 800 one week ago, with 249 patients in intensive care and 156 breathing with the help of a ventilator.

However, the Critical Care Services of Ontario report for Dec. 14, obtained by CP24 showed 267 COVID-19 positive patients in intensive care, as well as two children and one baby.

Elliott told reporters that the numbers were concerning, especially the increased burden on hospitals, but the main problem remains people not complying with the basic public health restrictions.

“Those are still disturbing numbers and we do know that in some areas people are not complying with the public health rules and regulations,” she said.

She added that the province has funded the addition of 3,100 hospital beds since the start of the pandemic.

Michael Garron Hospital intensivist Dr. Michael Warner retorted to CP24 that while there may be new equipment and beds in hospitals, there are not enough specialized staff to operate all of the new beds.

While the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine continues to be distributed to small groups of healthcare workers in Toronto and Ottawa, infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CP24 the burden Ontario’s existing active caseload is placing on GTA hospitals is zapping some of his enthusiasm about the vaccine.

“When we’re sustaining that burden of new cases per day, we know that a small but real percentage of them are going to need healthcare, and a small but real percentage of them are going to be admitted to hospital, and a small percentage of them are going to land in intensive care and sadly some of these individuals are going to die.”

“It’s not a good place. We are watching healthcare systems primarily in and around the Toronto area get stretched beyond capacity.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested the numbers could have been worse in early to mid-Decmber, referring to November projections which contained a worst-case scenario of 6,500 cases per day by today.

But he said cabinet will keep considering whether further measures are necessary.

“I know I have said it throughout this whole pandemic but everything is on the table.”

Elsewhere in the GTA, Halton Region reported 65 new COVID-19 cases, Durham Region reported 92 and Hamilton reported 99 new cases.

The high numbers on Tuesday prompted Ontario’s opposition to issue statements urging Premier Doug Ford to do more to stem the tide.

“We all believe that the vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel – the problem is it is a very long tunnel and Doug Ford’s plan is to let the virus run rampant until we get there,” NDP MPP Marit Stiles told reporters.

She urged the Ford government to use some of the $12 billion in contingency money it has set aside and implement paid sick leave for all workers who may not be able to afford to self-isolate if they are sick.

Liberal leader Steven Del Duca said Ford’s granting of new privileges for a small evangelical university (whose leader vociferously supported Ford in the PC Party leadership race) and changes to wildlife conservation passed this fall showed the premier was distracted from COVID-19 response at a time when it mattered.

“Doug Ford’s priorities this fall were rewarding his bigoted friend Charles McVety, and gutting our conservation authorities. He was focused on helping his buddies and forgot about the rest of us.”