Ontario reporting 1,708 new COVID-19 cases, 24 new deaths

 

Ontario is reporting 1,708 new cases of COVID-19 and 24 new deaths related to the novel coronavirus.

Health minister Christine Elliott says 503 of those cases are in Peel Region and 463 in Toronto - the only two regions currently under lockdown.

She says another 185 are in York Region, which is at the red alert level, the next most stringent under the province's tiered system.

The province says nearly 54,000 tests were completed since the last daily update, and 1,443 cases are newly considered resolved.

The numbers come a day before more stringent COVID-19 measures are set to take effect in five Ontario regions.

Windsor-Essex will be moved to the red level, Haldimand-Norfolk to orange, and three others - Hastings Prince Edward, Lambton and Northwestern - to the yellow.

Provincial data released last week suggested case counts were flattening somewhat, but Ontario recorded its highest number of daily infections the next day, at 1,855.

Officials have said it could take up to two weeks after new restrictions are imposed to see any improvements.