Ontario reports 75 more deaths linked to COVID-19 as hospitalizations drop to 4,061

Ontario health officials are reporting 75 deaths over the span of 19 days due to COVID-19, citing a data catch-up, as hospitalizations and intensive care admissions declined on Thursday.

“Due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant, we are evaluating whether there is a need to update reporting to distinguish between causal and incidental deaths related to COVID-19,” the provincial health minister’s spokesperson said on Thursday.

Health officials said 4,061 people are now in hospital testing positive for COVID-19, a decrease of 71 patients since Wednesday.

There are 594 people in intensive care, five fewer patients than on Wednesday.

The province also reported that of those hospitalized, 55 per cent are seeking care due to COVID-19, while the remaining 45 per cent were admitted to the hospital for unrelated reasons and are now testing positive for the virus.

In intensive care, 81 per cent of patients are admitted primarily for COVID-19, while the remaining 19 per cent are testing positive but are being treated for a separate issue.

Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 7,757 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, but health officials have warned that number is an underestimate due to limited testing.

On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford is set to announce Ontario’s plan to gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions put in place earlier this month.

This is a developing news story. More information to come.