Ontario topped the 3,000-mark of COVID-19 cases and approached 100 deaths on Thursday as Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre announced a neonatal intensive care nurse has come down with the illness.

There is no need for babies or parents in the intensive care unit to be tested because nurses in the unit routinely wear masks, the hospital said in a statement.

An “exhaustive review” of the nurse’s interactions by infection control officials after the positive test came to light last Saturday determined only one close contact – another hospital staff member – needs to self-isolate, the statement added.

Ontario’s count of laboratory-confirmed and presumptive cases has more than tripled in the last seven days, rising to 3,210 people and 92 deaths by 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the Star’s compilation of data from the province’s 34 regional health units.

That’s up 404 cases or 14 per cent from the same time Wednesday, when 82 deaths had been reported. Last Thursday, there were 938 cases since the virus first arrived in late January and just 16 deaths.

About half the cases in Ontario are in the GTA, prompting Toronto’s public health officer to repeat her pleas for residents to stay home and keep at least two metres from others when out and about.

“People are getting sick. People are dying in our city,” said Dr. Eileen de Villa, who added 86 are hospitalized and at least 11 people have died within the city limits. “Yet others think it is OK for them to hang out in groups with their friends.”

Acknowledging the increased risk of infection, the LCBO cleared front-line employees to wear more protective gear after at least two staffers tested positive for the virus.

“Retail staff may choose to wear face shields while serving customers to protect their eyes, mouth and nose from the transfer of droplets and to help prevent unnecessary touching of the face,” the LCBO said in a statement.

Ministry of Health statistics, which lag the Star’s tally because the government numbers are based on reports from health units by 4 p.m. Wednesday, show 831 people have recovered from the virus but 405 were in hospital across the province with serious illness from COVID-19.

Of that number, 167 were in intensive care and 112 of them were in critical condition and breathing with the assistance of ventilators. Patients typically stay on ventilators for 10 to 14 days, said Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer.

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Most of the fatalities have been elderly patients or younger adults with underlying conditions.

Health officials are keeping a close eye on outbreaks at 26 nursing homes and eight retirement homes across the province. At least 19 people have died in nursing home outbreaks, with the worst being at Pinecrest Nursing Home in Bobcaygeon where at least 24 staff members are also infected.

Ontario’s testing backlog has been reduced to 2,052 people awaiting results. The backlog is expected to be eliminated in the next day or two, allowing Williams to get a more accurate picture of the rate of infection.

“We’re going to watch to see what happens now,” he told reporters in a daily teleconference.

Nationally, there were at least 10,114 cases confirmed as of 11 a.m. Thursday and 127 deaths, according to figures from Public Health Canada.