As of 4 p.m. April 12th, the province has reported 7,470 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Ontario’s Associate Chief Medical Officer says 55-percent of positive cases are female, almost 40-percent are 60 or older and 54-percent are in the Greater Toronto Area.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe explains the number of new cases in women contradicts Europe’s epidemiological reports of new cases showing up predominantly in men. She argued whether it has to do with increased exposure as well as who gets tested for the virus and she notes that any indications right now are hypothetical and that we still need to watch the data as it comes in.
Ontario has had 291 deaths because of COVID-19 with 120 of those deaths related to 89 outbreaks in long term care homes. To date 3,357 people have recovered, marking 45-percent of COVID-19 cases in the province recovering.
A cumulative 813 health care workers have tested positive for the virus in the province. 760 COVID-19 patients are in hospital 263 of which require intensive care and 203 are on a ventilator.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe indicated over 108,000 Ontarians have been tested to date, with over 5,000 people and almost 5,500 tests administered over the past 24 hours. Approximately 7,000 people were tested yesterday, with the province aiming to test closer to 8,000 a day over the next few days.
Dr. Yaffe describes today’s numbers and the general trend of decreasing and/or stabilizing new cases as a glimmer of hope with abundant caution saying models indicate the peak will happen this week and that after reaching a peak, there will still be cases but will be on the lower side of numbers. Dr. Yaffe says the decision to roll back on public health measures is one that has to be done carefully and slowly to eliminate the chances of resurgence in the coming weeks.