Ontario reports 1,829 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 435 in ICUs

Ontarioreported1,829hospitalizations of people with COVID-19 Friday, marking the second straight day that number has dipped below 2,000 since early January.

The number of hospitalizations is down from 1,897 the day before andfrom 2,634 at the same time last week.

According to the Ministry of Health,54per cent of those peoplewere admitted to the hospital specifically for COVID-19 treatment, and 46per centwere admitted for other reasons but have tested positive for the virus.

The number of people in ICU with COVID-19 also dipped slightly, dropping from 445to 435. Roughly 80per cent of patients were admitted to intensive care specifically for the virus, while the rest were admitted for other reasons and tested positive.

The province is also reporting 52new deaths pushing the province's official death toll to 12,040.

At a news conference Thursday,the province's top doctorsaidpublic health indicators in the provinceare showing an improvement.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said the province is currentlyreviewing timelines for easingpublic health measures, including masking and proof-of-vaccination policies.

"We can now see that the Omicron peak is behind us," Moore said."We're in a very good position to reconsider timelines."

Moore also announced that high-contact sports, choir and other extracurriculars can now resume in Ontario schools after a temporary pause on the activities when students returned to in-person learning amid the Omicron wave.

Also Thursday, Ontario's expert science advisers said rapid antigen tests don't detect COVID-19 infections with the Omicron variant as reliably as they did with the Delta strain, but changing the way the tests are performed can boost their sensitivity.