Ontario reports 2,655 new COVID-19 cases; Niagara new cases down

The Ontario government reported 2,655 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the seven-day average to 2,850.

The Niagara Region reported 89 new cases today, a decrease from yesterday’s report of 108.

There were also 89 new deaths reported in the province today. There have been 5,568 COVID-19 deaths in Ontario to date.

Niagara Region reported 16 new COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday. In total, 239 people have died from the virus in the region.

“Ontario is reporting 2,655 cases of #COVID19 and over 54,300 tests completed. Locally, there are 925 new cases in Toronto, 473 in Peel, 226 in York Region, 179 in Windsor-Essex County and 129 in Niagara,” said Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott on Twitter Wednesday morning.

Public health units in Ontario also reporting higher case numbers include Waterloo with 101 new cases, Ottawa with 86 cases, Hamilton with 75 new cases, Simcoe-Muskoka with 71 cases, and Durham with 70 cases. Other public health units reported 70 cases or less.

Vaccine doses administered in Ontario and Niagara

More than 17,042 vaccine doses were administered in Canada bringing the total number of vaccines administered so far across the country to more than 668,181. That means that 1.642 per cent of the Canadian population has received at least one dose of the vaccine

Over 13,784 of yesterday’s doses were given in Ontario, for a total of approximately 237,918 administered across the province so far. That’s 1.613 per cent of the provincial population.

An initial vaccine supply arrived in the Niagara Region last Tuesday. Approximately 582 new doses were administered as of Wednesday morning. A total of 2,441 doses have been administered in the region by Niagara Public Health in long-term care homes and high-risk retirement homes.

A total of 2,441 people have been vaccinated in Niagara Region by Niagara Public Health. Niagara Health says it has administered 1,732 vaccinations to health care staff. 

The total number of vaccinations in the region is at 4,173. Against a population of 447,888 (2016 census), that means about 0.93 per cent of the region’s residents have been vaccinated so far.

See also: COVID-19 vaccinations have started in Grimsby

Today’s number dropped below 100 today for the first time since Jan. 5. Case numbers over the weekend and beginning of the week have remained under the daily record of 471 cases last Monday, the largest single-day jump ever seen in the region due in part to a backlog of cases being updated. Numbers also remained below the previous daily record of 196 reported on Friday, Jan. 8.

The death count went up by four cases over the weekend and by six on Monday. There were 16 new deaths reported today. This brings the total number of deaths to 239. Deaths are reported three times per week by NRPH on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

1,626 cases in Ontario hospitals

Ontario has now had 244,932 total cases, with 212,897 cases resolved. There are 1,598 cases in hospitals, with 395 in intensive care and 296 on ventilators.

Hospitalized cases decreased by 28, the number of those in intensive care decreased by five, and patients on ventilators increased by four since Tuesday.

The total number of confirmed cases in the Niagara Region now at 6,884 with 4,976 resolved. Of those cases, there are 1,669 active cases, decreasing by 185 since Monday and 55 active outbreaks, up by two since Tuesday.

West Niagara COVID-19 active cases

Note: Population numbers in brackets are Niagara Info’ estimates against growth over 2016 census numbers.

Grimsby 16.4 per 10,000 people (population: 28,500 = 48 cases)
Lincoln 31.5 per 10,000 people (population: 24,500 = 77 cases)
Pelham 22.8 per 10,000 people (population: 17,500 = 42 cases)
Wainfleet 14.9 per 10,000 people (population: 6,500 = 10 cases)
West Lincoln 27.2 per 10,000 people (population: 14,500 = 45 cases)

Additional Niagara Region active COVID-19 cases

Fort Erie 26.5 per 10,000 people (population: ~33,000 = 100 cases)
Niagara Falls 34.3 per 10,000 people (population: ~90,000 = 344 cases)
NOTL 50.4 per 10,000 people (population: ~18,000 = 95 cases)
Port Colborne 14.2 per 10,000 people (population: ~19,000 = 27 cases)
St. Catharines 45.4 per 10,000 people (population: ~133,000 = 651 cases)
Thorold 34.2 per 10,000 people (population: ~20,000 = 77 cases)
Welland 26.8 per 10,000 people (population: ~55,000 = 149 cases)

Learn More:

COVID cases in Niagara schools
Niagara Region’s COVID-19 stats
Ontario’s COVID-19 stats
Federal government’s COVID-19 tracker app