Ontario reports over 4,100 COVID-19 hospitalizations, 64 more deaths
Ontario reported more than 4,100 COVID-19 hospitalizations today and 64 virus-related deaths as the province is set to loosen restrictions at the end of the month.
There are currently 4,114 patients with COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals, up from 4,061 a day ago, according to the Ministry of Health.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 54 per cent of hospitalized patients were admitted for the virus and 46 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive for COVID-19.
There are 590 people in ICU with #COVID19. 82% of patients admitted to the ICU were admitted for COVID-19 and 18% were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive for COVID-19.
There are 7,165 new cases of COVID-19.
— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) January 21, 2022
Ontario sewage tests indicates COVID-19 may have plateaued but levels still high, experts say
Results from facilities testing sewage for COVID-19 across Ontario indicate that infection rates may have plateaued, yet levels of the Omicron variant appear to remain high, experts say.
Andrea Kirkwood, an associate professor of biological science at Ontario Tech University who is one of a number of researchers involved in the wastewater COVID-19 surveillance project, said at the beginning of the month, all the sites they were monitoring “spiked really high.”
Levels subsequently came down from the peak, but researchers are still detecting a higher virus signal with the Omicron variant compared to previous variants, she said.
