Ontario reported 441 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday as infections in the province continue to rise.
The seven-day average of daily infections now stands at 492 cases. The average is 121 cases more than a week ago.
The province also reports three additional deaths related to COVID-19.
Of the new cases, 268 are in people who are not fully vaccinated or have unknown vaccination status and 173 are in fully vaccinated people.
19,368 tests were completed in the last 24-hour period and the province reports a test positivity rate of 3.1 percent. It is the highest positivity test in almost two months.
There are 244 people hospitalized with COVID-19, 175 are not fully vaccinated or have unknown vaccination status and 69 are fully vaccinated.
An additional 13,049 doses of vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours, 88.5% of eligible Ontarians have received one dose, and 85.1% are fully vaccinated.
The Scientific Director of the Ontario COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Board says that The increase in cases in Ontario can be attributed to cooling temperatures, less stringent capacity limits and relaxed precautions among the public.
Dr. Peter Juni says that reintroducing capacity limits can help with the situation, adding that people have the power to help stabilize the course through behavior changes like avoiding crowds, wearing masks indoors, and working from home. if possible.
Public health officials in Sudbury announced Monday that they would reintroduce capacity limits, require masking at organized public events, and require proof of vaccination for youth sports amid a “record number” of virus outbreaks and an “alarming” increase. It is not tied to any particular environment.
Mayor John Tory was asked if the city of Toronto has any plans to reintroduce capacity limits, though he did not discuss specific plans, saying officials continue to monitor the figures.
“As these kinds of things change and we continue to adjust through big sporting events, through increased capacity brought in for restaurants, we are constantly monitoring these numbers on a daily basis,” Tory said at city hall.
With archives of the Canadian press
Reference-toronto.citynews.ca