Ontario reports 1,873 new cases of COVID-19 with record 65,300 tests completed

Ontario is reporting 1,873 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday with a record 65,300 tests completed.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said 522of the new cases are in Toronto, 436 in Peel, 185 in York Region and 109 in Hamilton.

There were also 17 more deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of people who have died of COVID-19 in Ontario to3,933.

The province says there are currently 855 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Of this number, 237 are in intensive care units and 143 are breathing with the help of a ventilator.

There are 1,918 morecases marked as resolved, Elliot said.

Ottawa recorded 19 new cases, 40 less than the 59 cases reported on Friday. Other areas which saw a decrease in the number of new cases included Durham region with80 cases, down from 91 on Friday,and Halton with 47, a decrease a 10 from the previous day.

Among the other health units reporting double-digit increases on Saturday are:

• Region of Waterloo: 78.
• Niagara Region: 45.
• Simcoe Muskoka: 31.
• Brant County: 17.
• Thunder Bay: 13.

The province saidOntario'spositivity rate is nowabout 3.2 per cent.

The new cases represent a decrease from the record-breaking 1,983 cases on Thursday and the 1,890 reported on Wednesday. A total of 1,848 news cases were reported on Friday.

According to the province, the majority of Saturday's cases were in people under the age of 60, but atleast 317 cases were in people under the age of 19.

There were also 687 cases in people between the ages of 20 and 39, and 521 cases in people between the ages of 40 and 59.

The total number of lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario now stands at 138,504, of which 118,350 have been resolved.

Tighter restrictions coming for some regions Monday

Two areas, Windsor-Essex and York Region, will move intothe grey lockdown zone on Monday. The province said there were 81 new cases in Windsor-Essex on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Middlesex-London, Simcoe-Muskokaand Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph will move to the red control zone.

Eastern Ontario will move into the orange-restrict zone, while Leeds, Grenville and Lanark move into the yellow-protectzone.

Toronto and Peel Region entered a lockdown on Nov. 23 for at least 28 days.

Ontario to begin vaccinations next week in Toronto, Ottawa

Ontario is set toadminister its first COVID-19 vaccines next Tuesday at two hospitals in Toronto and Ottawa,the province confirmed on Thursday.

The provincewill receive 6,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.

The University Health Network in Toronto and the Ottawa Hospital will give the first shots to health-care workers from long-term care homes and other high-risk settings, said retired Gen. Rick Hillier, who is leading Ontario's vaccine task force.