The 2,336 new cases reported Tuesday mark an increase over Monday’s total when 2,094 were logged. The province added 2,448 cases on Sunday, 2,453 on Saturday, and 2,169 on Friday. Besides these case numbers, 36,071 tests have been processed in the last 24 hours, and the province says its COVID-19 positivity rate stands at 6.2 percent.
In an analysis from Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table published on Monday night, it was learned that hospitalizations were now 20 percent higher than they were at the start of the last province-wide lockdown.
“Right now in Ontario, the pandemic is completely out of control,” Dr. Peter Juni, the table’s scientific director and a professor of medicine and epidemiology with the University of Toronto, said in an interview with CBC Canada prior to the briefing note’s publication.
This latest grim assessment comes after weeks of warnings from health officials in Ontario over rising case counts and the rapid spread of variants, primarily the UK variant, B.1.1.7.
It comes the same day B.C. announced it will be implementing a three-week “circuit breaker”-style lockdown, with sweeping new restrictions on indoor dining in restaurants, group fitness, and worship services.
Dr. Juni went straight to the point when he said that there is now “no way out” of the dire scenario that’s set to unfold over the next few weeks without a widespread lockdown – as well as other measures, including the province providing paid sick leave to essential workers, avoiding movement between regions, and making sure residents have access to lower-risk outdoor activities.
“There is no such thing as winning this race with just vaccinations,” Juni stressed. “That’s impossible.”
Global News is reporting that Anthony Dale, the president of the Ontario Hospital Association says the province could face a new surge in inpatient transfers and canceled surgeries as it deals with the third wave of COVID-19 in the weeks ahead.
