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Ontario reports 480 new COVID-19 cases, 2 more deaths

Ontario is reporting 480 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, a 14 percent increase from the 331 cases reported last Monday, but a minor decrease from the numbers reported the previous three days that were above 500.

The seven-day rolling average now sits at 476, an increase from 362 a week ago.

Of the 480 new cases, 289 cases are in individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 191 are in fully vaccinated individuals. Monday’s report also shows that 53 cases were recorded in Toronto, 49 in Waterloo, 39 in York Region, 39 in Peel Region, 29 in Niagara, 23 in Sudbury, and 21 in Windsor-Essex.

There is a cumulative total of 603,711 COVID-19 cases, with 589,771 resolved cases. The province also reported two more deaths on Monday, totaling 9,900 deaths to date.

As of Monday morning, 22,623,960 doses of approved COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Ontario; 88.5% of people 12+ in Ontario have received at least one dose and 85.1% of people 12+ in Ontario are fully vaccinated.

As for COVID-19 hospitalizations in Ontario—as of Sunday night, 105 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19, 127 patients were in ICU due to COVID-related critical illnesses and 74 patients are in ICU on a ventilator due to COVID-related critical illnesses.

Ontario expanding COVID-19 booster eligibility

As of Saturday, the province expanded eligibility for booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines to additional groups of high-risk individuals, as long as at least six months have passed since their last dose:

  • Individuals aged 70 and over (born in 1951 or earlier);
  • Health care workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings (including long-term care home and retirement home staff and designated caregivers);
  • Individuals who received a complete series of a viral vector vaccine (two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine or one dose of the Janssen vaccine); and
  • First Nation, Inuit, and Métis adults and their non-Indigenous household members.

In coming months, Ontario will gradually roll out booster doses to all Ontarians aged 12 and over (the general public can likely receive their booster shots in early 2022, based on age and risk factors). In Toronto, over the weekend, more than 8,000 third-dose vaccination appointments were booked.

Meanwhile, a Scarborough elementary school will be closed for in-person learning/activities as of Monday after more than a dozen COVID-19 cases were identified.

Toronto Public Health identified 13 COVID-19 cases at Precious Blood Catholic School, and recommended a whole school dismissal as a precautionary measure to protect staff and students from further COVID-19 transmission within the school.

Click here for more COVID-19 Ontario news and here for where you could get rapid COVID-19 tests in Toronto (including a new drive-thru option).