For the second time this month, Niagara Region Public Health reported a higher-than-usual number, as 21 new cases of COVID-19 were added to the region’s case count.
Following 10 recoveries, the number of known active cases was 156 as of noon, Friday.
No new deaths were reported.
Friday’s increase follows a slow upward trend, that has become visible over the past couple of weeks.
According to the region, more than 80 percent of variant cases in the past 14 days have been designated as likely belonging to the Delta-variant.
5 patients are receiving care at Niagara Health hospitals. One of those cases is being treated in the ICU.
Ontario cases
Public Health Ontario reported 650 new COVID cases today (Aug. 20).
The latest update noted 444 recoveries and two deaths. The deaths include an individual between 40 and 59 years old and one person between 60 and 79 years old.
There have been 29 new hospitalizations since yesterday's report. Thirteen people have been admitted to intensive care units with COVID-19.
The Aug. 20 update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following data:
• Of the new cases reported today, 426 are unvaccinated individuals, 64 are partially vaccinated, 103 are fully vaccinated, and the vaccination status of the remaining 57 cases is unknown.
• 4,447 active, lab-confirmed cases, up from 4,243 yesterday.
• 197 COVID-positive people are currently hospitalized in Ontario.
• Among the patients hospitalized (excluding ICU) 75 are unvaccinated, eight are partially vaccinated, and 13 are fully vaccinated.
• There are 104 COVID-positive patients in intensive care, plus another 31 patients who no longer test positive for COVID-19.
• 56 COVID patients are on ventilators and another 21 patients on ventilators no longer test positive for COVID-19.
• Of the patients in intensive care, 52 are unvaccinated, six are partially vaccinated, and six are fully vaccinated
• 9,700,285 Ontarians (65 per cent of total population) have been fully vaccinated and another 986,241 have a single dose of COVID vaccine.
• The province reported 28,635 tests were processed yesterday, resulting in a 2.4 per cent positivity rate.
• There are 12,398 tests still awaiting processing, and the provincial labs have processed 16.9 million tests to date.
• Of the new cases reported today 136 are from Toronto, 113 cases are from Peel, 15 are from Simcoe-Muskoka, five are from Grey-Bruce, and 63 are from York Region.
• Today's cases include 101 individuals under 12 years old, 58 youth between 12 and 19 years old, 316 people between 20 and 39 years old, 132 people between 40 and 59 years old, 39 people between 60 and 79 years old, and five people over 79 years old.
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 558,101 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 544,204 recoveries and 9,450 deaths.
The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 3,787.8 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario.
Ontario's average weekly incidence rate is 22.9 cases per 100,000 people, which is up by 37.1 per cent from the week of Aug. 4.
For more on the province's breakdown of vaccination status, click here.
