In the surge of additional COVID-19 cases following March break, York Region has added 15 new cases — including Newmarket's sixth case — this morning, March 25, jumping to a total of 97.
Ontario is reporting 100 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 this morning, making this the first daily report in the triple digits, for a total of 688 cases.
The province is also reporting a ninth COVID-19-related death, with no further details.
The Newmarket case, which is under investigation, is a woman in her 50s. The first confirmed case in King, transmitted by travel, is a man in his 60s.
This morning's additional 15 cases in York follow the total of 19 new cases, including two more in Newmarket, added yesterday, March 24.
Yesterday, too, York Region public health reported that eight health-care workers — physicians, nurses and paramedics — are among the 97 COVID-19 cases confirmed to date.
Today's additional cases, most of which are under investigation with no further details, are:
- In East Gwillimbury, a man in his 70s;
- In Whitchurch-Stouffville, a woman in her 60s; a woman in her 40s; and a woman in her 50s;
- In Markham, a woman in her 50s; a man in his 30s (close contact, self-isolating); a woman in her 50s (self-isolation); a man in his 40s; and a woman in her 20s;
- In Richmond Hill, a man in his 50s;
- In Vaughan, a man in his 40s; a woman in her 20s; a man under the age of 20.
The surge in the number of cases under investigation is an indication of the growing number of individuals who have been infected by local transmission, which means travel and close contact are not the sources of transmission, according to York Region medical officer of health Dr. Karim Kurji.
Of the 97 cases in York Region, 35 are in Vaughan; 32 in Markham, 10 in Richmond Hill, seven in Whitchurch-Stouffville, six in Newmarket, four in East Gwillimbury, two in Aurora and one in King Township. One case is resolved, Dr. Kurji said.
The province is also reporting that yesterday it secured desperately need equipment for frontline health-care workers, including 12 million sets of surgical gloves, one million N95 respirators and nearly six million more surgical masks.
If you have been tested at Southlake’s Davis Drive assessment centre, results are now available on its online patient connect portal.
To register, call 877-733-5033. Hospital staff are not authorized to release test results over the phone or by text. Please do not call the hospital to ask for your test results.
