Ontario reports 287 new COVID-19 cases and 12 more deaths on Sunday
CBC News | Posted: June 27, 2021 2:39 PM | Last Updated: June 27, 2021
Daily case count includes 66 in Waterloo region, Health Minister Christine Elliott says
Ontario is reporting 287 cases of COVID-19 and 12 more deaths on Sunday.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said the daily case count includes 66 in Waterloo region, 42 in Toronto, 38 in Grey Bruce, 26 in Peel region and 16 in the Porcupine Health Unit region.
The province's network of labs completed more than 18,500 tests in the last 24 hours, she added.
As of 8 p.m. yesterday, 14,027,141 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Ontario, including 202,672 doses administered on Saturday.
There are currently 203 people with COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals. There are also 289 people in intensive care units, of which 191 people, or 66 per cent, are breathing with the help of ventilators.
The new deaths on Sunday bring the province's cumulative death toll to 9,126.
Province prepares to move to second step of reopening plan
Ontario is preparing to move to Step Two of its reopening plan on June 30. The new rules will allow for outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people and indoor gatherings of up to five people, among other things.
The government said it had met its goals for moving to the second step. These goals include having 70 per cent of adults vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent vaccinated with two doses for at least two weeks.
As of Sunday, 77 per cent of the population over 18 has received one dose while about 34 per cent has received their second dose.
The Ontario government has provided a list of activities that will be allowed when the second step begins:
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people.
- Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 5 people.
- Essential and other select retail permitted at 50 per cent capacity.
- Non-essential retail permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
- Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times, and at 25 per cent capacity and other restrictions.
- Outdoor dining with up to six people per table, with an exception for larger households and other restrictions.
- Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services, will be permitted at up to 25 per cent capacity of a particular room.
- Outdoor fitness classes will be limited to the number of people who can maintain three metres of physical distance.
- Outdoor sports without contact or modified to avoid contact, with no specified limit on number of people or teams participating, with restrictions.
- Overnight camps for children operating in a manner consistent with the safety guidelines produced by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
- Outdoor sport facilities with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
- Outdoor concert venues, theatres and cinemas, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
- Outdoor horse racing and motor speedways, with spectators permitted at 25 per cent capacity.
- Outdoor fairs, rural exhibitions, festivals, permitted at 25 per cent capacity and with other restrictions.
The rules come into effect at 12:01 a.m. on June 30.
Ontario said in the statement that "while the province has surpassed Step Three vaccination targets," the province will stay in Step Two for 21 days to allow vaccinations to reach their full effectiveness and the government to evaluate the impact of looser restrictions.
Toronto sets vaccination record
Meanwhile, the City of Toronto administered nearly 27,000 COVID-19 vaccines at a single clinic on Sunday, which it says smashes past the previous North American record.
Mayor John Tory was among the 26,771 people who received a vaccine at the "Our Winning Shot" event at the Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The City says it broke the previous record at about 8 p.m., when 17,004 doses had been administered.
Texas held that record with 17,003 shots administered at a drive-thru clinic on April 30.
Toronto has administered more than 3.2 million vaccine doses since the start of the immunization campaign.
Accelerated second doses available to youth in hot spots
Ontario youth between the ages of 12 to 17 who live in designated hot spots for the Delta COVID-19 variant can now book accelerated second vaccine dose appointments.