COVID patients occupying 24% of ICU beds in Ontario

Ontario's intensive care units are reportedly operating at about 80 per cent capacity provincewide, with about 24 per cent of the total ICU beds in Ontario currently occupied by a COVID-positive patient. 

Of the 2,343 adult ICU beds in Ontario, about 55 per cent are occupied by a non-COVID patient, and 21 per cent remain available for patients.

There are 589 COVID positive patients in Ontario intensive care units, according to the latest provincial update, and about 483 of them were admitted because of COVID. The rest were admitted for other reasons but also test positive for COVID

The latest provincial update states there are 4,132 COVID positive patients in hospital, about 2,189 people are there because of COVID related illness and the remaining 1,943 patients were admitted for a different reason but still test positive for COVID-19. 

On Jan. 19, Public Health Ontario is reporting 5,744 new COVID cases, however, new case counts no longer reflect COVID-19 transmission in the province as testing is reserved nearly exclusively for hospitalized patients, and residents and staff at high-risk congregate settings. 

Public Health Ontario has confirmed 969,437 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 874,445 recoveries and 10,726 deaths.

The Jan. 19 updates provided by the province's public health agency and the ministry of health also reported the following data:

Cases

• 12,891 recoveries and 59 deaths since yesterday's report. The deaths reported have all occurred within the last month.
• There are 84,266 active, lab-confirmed cases in Ontario
• The new cases reported today include 880 unvaccinated people, 186 partially vaccinated people, and 4,109 fully vaccinated people, 569 cases were reported with vaccination status unknown. 
• The seven-day average by vaccination status indicated 51 cases per 100,000 unvaccinated people, 38 cases per 100,000 partially vaccinated people, and 60 cases per 100,000 fully vaccinated people. 
• Lab-confirmed testing is mostly limited to those who live in high-risk congregate care settings or work in them. As such a majority of the people being tested are fully vaccinated as per provincial or workplace mandatory vaccine policies.

Hospitalizations

• 4,132 people are in hospital testing positive for COVID-19. Of those, 53 per cent (about 2,189 people) were admitted to the hospital because of COVID-19 and 47 per cent were admitted for other reasons, but have tested positive for COVID. 
• Among the hospitalized patients not in the ICU are 770 unvaccinated people, 174 partially vaccinated people, and 2,044 fully vaccinated people. This would include some patients admitted for reasons other than COVID.
• There are 589 patients in Ontario ICUs with COVID. Of those, 82 per cent (about 483 people) were admitted because of COVID-related illness, and 18 per cent were admitted for other reasons but test positive for COVID-19. 
• There are 341 COVID patients on ventilators.
• Among ICU patients are 185 unvaccinated people, 18 partially vaccinated people, and 224 fully vaccinated people. 

Testing

• The province reported 34,579 tests were processed yesterday, resulting in a 22 per cent positivity. Another 32,581 tests are still being processed. 

As of today's report, 11.5 million people in Ontario (78 per cent of the population) are fully vaccinated, and five per cent of the province has one dose of COVID vaccine. There are 5.7 million people in Ontario with three doses of vaccine.

The cumulative average incidence rate in the province is 6,597.6 cases per 100,000 people in Ontario.

Ontario's average seven-day incidence rate from Jan. 9 to Jan. 15 was 457.3 cases per 100,000 people, which decreased 17.7 per cent over the seven-day period starting on Jan. 3.

For more on the province's breakdown of vaccination status, click here.

Northern Ontario

According to provincial data, in the north there are currently 131 people with COVID-19 in hospital, down from 148 yesterday. There are 27 people in ICU, the same as yesterday, and 11 people on ventilators, the same as yesterday. The regional data is not broken down to clarify the number of people in hospital for a COVID-related reason and who was admitted to hospital for another reason then tested positive.

In Northern Ontario, the breakdown of Public Health Ontario data for cases and vaccination is:

• Algoma Public Health: The health unit has reported 3,074 cases, 560 known active cases and 14 current hospitalizations, including one person who is from out of region but in Algoma. Of the eligible population five years and older, 87 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 81 per cent have both doses. Of the population 18 years and older, 51 per cent have a booster.
• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit: The health unit has reported 2,391 cases, 235 known active cases and two hospitalizations. Of the eligible population five years and older, 85 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 80 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 51 per cent have a booster.
• Porcupine Health Unit: The health unit has reported 3,848 cases and 870 known active cases. The health unit does not report hospitalizations. At Timmins and District Hospital there are 32 patients with COVID-19, seven of whom were admitted for virus-related reasons. Of the eligible population five years and older, 87 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 79 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 47 per cent have a booster.
• Public Health Sudbury and Districts: The health unit has reported 8,077 cases and 910 known active cases. There are 57 COVID-positive patients at Health Sciences North, including five in ICU. Of the eligible population five years and older, 88 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 82 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 48 per cent have a booster.
• Timiskaming Health Unit: The health unit has reported 921 cases, 95 known active cases, and six hospitalizations. Of the eligible population five years and older, 85 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 79 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 52 per cent have a booster.
• Northwestern Health Unit: The health unit has reported 2,738 cases, 201 known active cases and two hospitalizations. Of the eligible population five years and older, 95 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 85 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 51 per cent have a booster.
• Thunder Bay District Health Unit: The health unit has reported 5,814 cases, 292 known active cases and 17 hospitalizations, including two people in ICU. Of the eligible population five years and older, 88 per cent of people have at least one dose of the vaccine and 81 per cent have both doses. For the eligible population 18 years and older, 46 per cent have a booster.

The data from Northern Ontario health units is based on what was available at 10:30 a.m. today.