Ministry of Health coronavirus situation report #125

Situation:    

• 344 new cases were reported in Ontario today, bringing the cumulative case count to 27,210 (this includes 20,983 resolved cases and 2,230 deaths).
• In Ontario, a total of 680,687 tests have been completed, with tests performed at Public Health Ontario Laboratories and non-Public Health Laboratories. There are currently 13,351 tests under investigation.
• 826 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19; 129 are in ICU; and 100 are in ICU on a ventilator.

 Actions Taken:

• As the province carefully and gradually reopens the economy, the Ontario government announced the implementation of the next phase of the COVID-19 testing strategy to detect and quickly stop the spread of the virus. Testing will now be available to more people in more locations across the province. This phase of the testing plan is outlined in the document Protecting Ontarians Through Enhanced Testing.
• The Quick Reference Public Health Guidance on Testing and Clearance has been updated to support the new provincial testing plan. Key updates include: information on the testing and clearance process for asymptomatic patients, and updates approaches to clearing cases. This document is available on the Ministry website.
• The COVID-19 Provincial Testing Guidance document has also been updated to support the new provincial testing plan. Key updates include: guidance on asymptomatic testing, testing prior to surgical procedures, and contact-based testing in specific settings. This document is available on the Ministry website.
• The document entitled “COVID-19 Operational Requirements: Health Sector Restart” has been posted on the ministry’s website.