Public Health Ontario logs 16,714 COVID-19 cases, warns data is an underestimate
Published January 2, 2022 at 11:53 am
TORONTO — Public Health Ontario is reporting 16,714 new COVID-19 cases in the province, but warns the figure is an underestimate of the virus’s actual presence in the community.
The latest figures mark a drop from Saturday’s 18,445 cases, a record for the province.
Public Health Ontario says the number of infected people is likely higher than what it is reporting because recent policy changes have made COVID-19 testing less accessible just as cases linked to the Omicron variant are soaring.
The organization says 16 more people have died as a result of the virus.
It also shared that there are 195 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care homes, 74 in hospitals and 70 in retirement homes.
The numbers come days after the province changed its guidelines around government-funded COVID-19 testing, limiting eligibility to high-risk groups.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2022.
The Canadian Press
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