Positivity rates, wastewater indicators, case count and hospitalizations have increased week after week
The seventh wave of COVID-19 in Ontario, caused by the subvariant Omicron BA.5, is increasing cases after a decline of about eight weeks.
The first indicators of the spread of the virus in the province have an upward trend.
The 56,642 tests performed during the last week produced a positivity rate of 11.2% (compared to 8.4% last week) and showed a 20% increase in the number of cases between those eligible for the test. Test positivity rates have ranged from 10.7 to 13.5 percent per day this week.
This week 6,499 new cases have been confirmed, compared to 5,420 cases last week.
Between June 26 and July 2, tests confirmed between 514 and 1,241 new cases per day.
There are currently 712 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and about 56 percent of them were hospitalized for reasons other than COVID-19, but still tested positive. This represents an increase of about 136 more hospitalized patients compared to last week.
There are 110 patients with COVID in the intensive care units, including 41 patients with ventilators.
Hospitalizations have remained stable during the month of June with between 16 and 44 cases hospitalized per day between June 2 and July 2.
Over the past 30 days, there have been between zero and nine deaths a day caused by COVID, or the virus was a contributing factor.
Earlier this week, the Ontario COVID-19 Advisory Board shared via Twitter that wastewater signals, test positivity rates, and hospitalizations caused by the virus are on the rise.
Canadian Press reported that the scientific director of the advisory board, Dr. Fahad Razak, said the current surge is caused by strain BA.5, a subvariant of Omicron, which does not appear to cause more serious illnesses, but could cause a large number of infections.
He recommended booster shots, meeting outdoors, and wearing masks in crowded public spaces.
Ontario Medical Director of Health Dr. Kieran Moore also confirmed that the province is in the seventh wave of COVID-19, which is being driven by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant.
There are 140 ongoing outbreaks in congregated care settings, such as long-term and nursing homes and hospitals in Ontario. These outbreaks are attributed to 660 new cases between June 26 and July 2. There are 27 outbreaks in coexistence facilities such as shelters, prisons and group homes.
Since the start of the pandemic, the province has confirmed 1,333,902 cases of COVID and 13,454 deaths.
About 50 per cent of the population of Ontario have had at least three doses of a COVID vaccine, and almost 83 per cent have had at least two doses.