TORONTO – They had just said it yesterday and so it is: Ontario has arrived in the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, as today’s data confirm. 513 new cases in one day. A number that exceeds, for the first time since mid-June, the 500 daily infections, and which marks a daily increase compared to Wednesday, when 324 reports were recorded (321 on Tuesday, 325 on Monday and 423 on Sunday). In any case, more than double the 213 cases reported a week ago. Only on June 13, a higher number was registered than today: 530 cases. The seven-day average is now 375, up sharply from 332 a day ago and 198 a week ago.

“The fourth wave of the pandemic, led by the Delta variant, is now underway in Canada,” said Dr Theresa Tam, head of Canadian public health, today. “The latest data identified that Canada cases are following a strong recovery trajectory,” she said, adding that the country has, totally, “13,000 active cases, more than double the number two weeks ago”.

A wave that, however, would have less devastating effects than the previous ones, at least in terms of the severity of the consequences: in Ontario, for example, today – despite the sharp surge in new cases – no deaths related to the virus were reported. The total death toll from the start of the pandemic therefore remains unchanged: 9,412.

Still remaining in Ontario, another 256 people recovered from the virus today: 2,868 known active cases remain, compared to 1,879 active cases a week ago. Ontario labs processed nearly 22,900 tests in the past 24 hours, bringing the positivity rate to 2.1%, up from 1.2% a week ago.

But the data, perhaps even more interesting, lies in the status of the infected: of the new cases reported today, in fact, 360 concern unvaccinated individuals, 56 partially vaccinated people and 88 fully vaccinated individuals, according to the Ministry of Health.

Infections of the unvaccinated therefore represent 70% of the cases in the province, despite the same non-immunized make up just under 29% of the population of Ontario. As if to say: vaccines work. It is mainly the unvaccinated who contract Covid-19. But it is equally true that there is still a not very low percentage of vaccinated people who get sick.

Returning to the case count, it emerges that Toronto recorded 105 new cases today, compared to 75 the previous day, while 64 infections were reported in the Peel region, 70 in the York region, 44 in Durham and 20 in Halton. Elsewhere in southern Ontario, 27 new cases have been reported in Windsor-Essex, 17 in Waterloo and 29 in Hamilton. The ministry said there are 113 patients with Covid-19 in intensive care units (ICUs) across Ontario. Thirty-seven of these ICU patients are unvaccinated, while five are partially vaccinated and two are fully vaccinated. The vaccination status of the remaining patients is unknown.

And the vaccine situation? About 81% of all Ontarians eligible for vaccination (12 years of age and older) have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, while 72% have received two doses and are fully vaccinated. But it is evident that it is still not enough.

Image by Fernando Zhiminaicela from Pixabay.com