Ontario endured another tough weekend as the number of new COVID-19 cases climbed to record-setting new heights twice in as many days.
The province said on Sunday that it logged 1,924 new infections in the past 24 hours, pushing above the 1,859 case record hit a day earlier.
There were also 15 new deaths reported as linked to the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says Toronto had the highest number of new cases at 504, while Peel logged 463 and York Region saw 198.
“The spread of #COVID19 has reached a critical point,” Elliott wrote in a tweet. “We need everyone to do their part and follow public health advice.”
There were 1,574 more resolved cases on Sunday, while the number of active cases rose to 15,547.
The number of patients in the province’s hospitals decreased to 701, with 204 in intensive care.
The province’s lab network processed nearly 59,300 tests. Elliott said.
The soaring weekend case counts come a day before stricter measures are set to take effect in three regions of Ontario in an effort to stop further spread of the virus while also keeping schools open.
The Middlesex-London region and Thunder Bay District Health Unit will both move to the “orange” level of the provincial pandemic response plan on Monday, while the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit moves to “yellow.”
Moving to orange enacts an array of new protective measures, such as greater restrictions on gatherings and more limitations on visitors to long-term care facilities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2020.
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