

Chris Herhalt, CP24.com





Ontario public health officials reported 426 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, by far the highest case growth in since the outbreak reached the province, bringing the total count of cases to 2,392.

They also confirmed four new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the province’s official total to 37.

However, Ontario’s 34 local public health units have together reported 30 more deaths than the province’s total, suggesting Ontario’s COVID-19 death toll stood at 67 by Wednesday morning at 10 a.m.

Provincial officials have not spoken to the discrepancy between their numbers and municipal numbers so far, only to say there may be a delay in local public health units reporting deaths to the province.

Officials reported 260 new cases on Tuesday and 351 new cases on Monday.

The number of patients believed to have made a full recovery rose by 155 to 689, or approximately 29 per cent of the province’s total case count.

Ontario’s network of labs completed 6,245 tests between Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, the highest daily turnaround yet.

Officials say they are working to increase the province’s testing capacity to 19,000 tests per day by mid-April.

The province’s testing backlog has finally diminished to a manageable level, standing at 3,135.

Within the province up to Tuesday evening, public health officials found that 24 per cent of cases were caused by travel abroad, 11 per cent were attributed to contact with a previously confirmed case, and 16 per cent were caused through community spread.

The cause of infection for the remaining half of cases was still under investigation.

Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe said that as of Tuesday afternoon, 332 patients were hospitalized across the province, with 145 in intensive care and 98 on ventilators.

A large portion of Ontario’s deaths to date have been in nursing and long-term care homes, including 12 residents and a relative from one home in Bobcaygeon, Ont.

The province says they are aware of 230 cases of COVID-19 infection in 12 homes where an outbreak has been declared, involving as many as 135 residents of those homes.