Ontario’s COVID-19 new case count grew faster than its recovery count today.

Ontario Public Health reported 525 new lab-confirmed cases today and 439 recoveries.

The province is also reporting another 59 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

The new cases are up by 100 over yesterday’s report of 424 new cases, but testing is lower with 10,852 tests completed for this report and 12,550 completed for yesterday’s report.

There are 6,282 tests awaiting results.

There are now 957 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 239 in intensive care and 187 patients on ventilators.

The province has reported a total of 15,381 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and has completed 253,040 tests. There have been 8,964 recoveries and 951 deaths. Over the course of the pandemic, there have been 5,610 cases of community transmission, 3,028 close contact cases, and 1,353 cases attributed to travel. The remaining 5,390 case transmissions are listed as pending.

There have been a total of 1,736 hospitalized through the course of the pandemic.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care has reported 154 active outbreaks in Ontario long-term care homes and 2,491 cases in residents, of those 705 residents have died. There are 1,205 cases confirmed in long-term care staff.

The ministry also reports there are 34 outbreaks now resolved at long-term care facilities in the province.

Ontario Public Health reports there are now 55 outbreaks at hospitals, 180 cases reported among hospital patients, and 181 cases reported in hospital staff.

Locally, today the Porcupine Health Unit reported one new case, which is linked to the outbreak at Timmins and District Hospital.

There have now been 59 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Timmins area.

In Northern Ontario, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit has the highest number of confirmed cases, with 70. The Porcupine Health Unit, which covers Timmins and the surrounding area, still has the highest rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population among other health units in Northern Ontario. The rate there is 68.3 per 100,000 people.

According to today’s report, which includes data from Jan. 15 to April 27, the number of cases at other Northern Ontario health units, as well as the rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population are:

• Algoma Public Health – 13 cases, rate of 11.4 per 100,000 population

• North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit – 14 cases, rate of 10.8 per 100,000 population

• Porcupine Health Unit – 57, rate of 68.3 per 100,000 population (59 cases actually been confirmed)

• Public Health Sudbury and Districts – 52 cases, rate of 26.1 per 100,000 population

• Timiskaming Health Unit – 12 cases, rate of 36.7 per 100,000

• Thunder Bay District Health Unit – 70 cases, rate of 46.7 per 100,000 population

• Northwestern Health Unit – 15 cases, rate of 17.1 per 100,000 population

According to the report, in Northeastern Ontario, there have been 148 confirmed cases, and the rate is 26.5 per 100,000 population. In Northwestern Ontario, there have been 85 cases and a rate of 35.8. The provincial rate per 100,000 population is 103.5.