Ontario reported 435 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, with the province having processed 43,238 tests on Friday, a new record for a single day.
The majority of newly confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus are concentrated in three public health units, namely Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa. These areas have 131, 110 and 45 additional cases, respectively, as of Saturday’s provincial update.
Meanwhile, 64 per cent of Saturday’s cases are among people under the age of 40, according to Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott.
The Ontario health ministry reported that 100 people are in hospital with COVID-19. Twenty-eight people are in intensive care units, while 15 are on ventilators.
A total of 2,837 people have died of the virus in the province. No new deaths, however, were reported by the ministry on Saturday.
According to the ministry, Ontario has had a total of 49,340 cumulative cases, with 42,505 marked as resolved.
The new cases come one day after the provincial government announced it is shutting down strip clubs and imposing tighter restrictions on bar and restaurant hours in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Premier Doug Ford has said the latest restrictions will help reduce transmission in high-risk businesses.
Bars and restaurants are now required to close at midnight, except for takeout and delivery, and must stop serving alcohol by 11 p.m.
Some pharmacies now offering COVID-19 testing
Meanwhile, some Ontario pharmacies began offering COVID-19 tests on Friday as the provincial government tries to take pressure off of busy assessment centres.
That change come as the province shifts its testing strategy to focus more on symptomatic people.
The government said earlier this week that low-risk asymptomatic people can get tested by appointment only at up to 60 pharmacies, but said on Thursday that the testing at pharmacies would only available to certain people, such as those with loved ones in long-term care homes or close contacts of a case.
That means some people with no symptoms who are simply seeking reassurance that they don’t have the virus will not be able to access testing at pharmacies.
Dr. Peter Lin, a Toronto-based family physician, said he thinks testing at pharmacies will enable the province to lower its backlog of tests waiting to be processed, which currently sits at 68,040.
“People that don’t fit into those [higher risk] categories, if they go for testing, they’re just taking up the capacity and their tests will come back as negative,” he told CBC News on Saturday.
“That’s not a good way to use our resources.”
Still have questions about COVID-19? These CBC News stories will help.
Is another lockdown coming in Ontario? What do we know about the Ford government’s fall plan?
CBC Queen’s Park reporter Mike Crawley obtained a draft copy of the plan
What’s the latest on where I should get tested?
It’s confusing, but here’s an explainer complete with a flow chart
What’s the most recent guidance on mask use?
Reporter Lauren Pelley took a look at what the experts are advising
What should I do about my COVID bubble?
With cases going up, even small gatherings are getting riskier
Who is getting COVID-19?
CBC News crunched the data from across Canada to get the clearest picture possible
