With a record-breaking 9,571 new COVID-19 cases and six net new deaths recorded in Ontario today, the government has cautioned that the coming days and weeks will require “ongoing vigilance.”
In an emailed statement attributable to Minister of Health spokesperson Alexandra Hilkene, it’s noted that case numbers are expected to increase further into the winter months as a result of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
“While the province’s ICUs continue to remain stable, we expect the number of admissions to rise in the coming weeks as Omicron spreads, particularly among the unvaccinated,” she wrote.
“To date, the effectiveness of vaccines has meant that despite a rapid increase in cases, we have not seen a corresponding increase in hospitalizations and ICU admissions.”
The province has been aided in an increase of 600 ICU beds made immediately available and nearly 500 more available for surge capacity if required.
“Ontario is ready for an increase in hospital and ICU admissions as we accelerate the booster rollout,” the statement reads.
Vaccines remain the best option against Omicron, she wrote, and Ontario is “continuing to urgently ramp up” its capacity to administer vaccines, with more than 253,000 doses administered on Wednesday.
This has accompanied additional public health and workplace safety measures, such as capacity and social gathering limits, to help curb transmission.
“This holiday season, please celebrate safely, get vaccinated and follow the public health measures that we know work and have protected us over the last 20 months,” Hilkene wrote.
“The Chief Medical Officer of Health will continue to review the data and evidence and our government will act as necessary to protect our health care system and the health and safety of Ontarians.”
