Ontario records 2,316 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday after record number of tests

Locally, there are 486 new cases in Toronto, 468 in Peel, 326 in York Region, 151 in Windsor-Essex County and 128 in Niagara.

All of those regions are currently under lockdown due to rising case counts, except for Niagara, which is moving to the red alert level of the province’s pandemic plan on Monday.

Elliott said more than 69,400 tests completed over the last 24 hours, a record for the province. The previous record of 68,246 tests were completed on Friday.

There are currently 54,546 tests under investigation in the province.

There were 2,275 new cases on Tuesday, 2,139 on Wednesday, 2,432 on Thursday, 2,290 on Friday, and 2,357 on Saturday.

There are currently 18,567 active cases of COVID-19 in Ontario.

More than 50 new cases of the virus were recorded in the following areas:

• Halton Region: 97.
• Waterloo Region: 91.
• Hamilton: 88.
• Durham Region: 82.
• Middlesex-London: 80.
• Simcoe Muskoka: 62.

There are currently 875 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Of this number, 261 are in intensive care units across the province, and 156 are breathing with the help of a ventilator.

Elliott said the safest way to celebrate this holiday season is at home with the people you live with.

“Connect virtually to keep in touch with extended family and friends,” the health minister said in a tweet. 

“If you live alone, consider exclusively celebrating with one additional household.”

25 new COVID-19-related deaths

Twenty-five additional deaths have been linked to the virus, bringing the province’s death toll is now 4,150. Of the deaths confirmed on Sunday, 18 were residents of long-term care homes.

There are 162 active outbreaks at long-term care homes in the province.

Sunday’s case count brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 155,930, including deaths and recoveries.

Hamilton enters grey lockdown phase Monday

Today is the last day before Hamilton enters the grey “lockdown” phase of the province’s pandemic response plan.

Hamilton is joining Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor-Essex in lockdown mode.

The stricter public health protocols — which restrict restaurants to offering takeout and delivery only, and close non-essential stores — kick in at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.

Tomorrow, Premier Doug Ford is expected to announce more public health rules following a weekend of emergency talks.

On Friday, Ford announced that lockdown orders in Toronto and Peel Region that were set to expire this week are being extended.

Meanwhile, Ontario is providing details on 17 hospitals that will be distributing the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks to health-care workers. The facilities include hospitals from Windsor to Thunder Bay.

The hospitals will join the University Health Network in Toronto and the Ottawa Hospital in giving the vaccine to workers. The province expects to receive an additional 90,000 doses.

Vaccine doses will be available at:

• Windsor Regional Hospital.
• London Health Sciences Centre.
• Grand River Hospital.
• Halton Healthcare.
• Hamilton Health Sciences.
• William Osler Health System.
• Trillium Health Partners.
• Southlake Regional Health Centre.
• Mackenzie Health.
• Humber River Hospital.
• Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
• Toronto East Health Network.
• Unity Health Toronto.
• Scarborough Health Network.
• Lakeridge Health.
• Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre.
• Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.