TORONTO — Ontario is reporting 118 new cases of COVID-19, and nine new deaths due to the novel coronavirus.

The total number of cases now stands at 36,178, which includes 31,805 marked as resolved and 2,700 deaths.

The province is also reporting 202 newly resolved cases today.

Ontario completed more than 22,832 tests for the novel coronavirus over the previous 24 hours.

The number of people in hospital because of the virus, in ICUs and on ventilators all slightly decreased.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says 30 of the province’s 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with 18 reporting no new cases at all.

Meanwhile, Ontario is expected to table a motion on Wednesday to extend the province’s state of emergency until July 24.

The current state of emergency declared at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is set to expire July 15.

Premier Doug Ford’s office said the government wants to extend the measure to ensure there is no gap between that declaration ending and a new bill extending Ontario’s emergency measures taking effect.

Solicitor General Sylvia Jones introduced that bill on Tuesday, saying the province will need to keep some emergency measures in place in the months ahead.

Jones’s bill gives the province the power to keep some pandemic measures in place for up to a year, even as the state of emergency ends.

While the motion to extend the declaration will be introduced today, the government does not expect to debate or vote on it until early next week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2020.

The Canadian Press

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