Ontario reports 2,939 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 555 in ICUs

The rate of hospitalization of people with COVID-19 in Ontario continued its slow downward trajectory Wednesday, while there was also a decrease in the number of patients in intensive care.

The Ministry of Health said Wednesdaymorning thatas of Tuesdaythere were 2,939people with COVID-19 in the province's hospitals. That's down from 3,091 the day before and 4,016at the same time last week.

About 56per cent of those patients were admitted for COVID-related illnesses while 44per cent were already in hospital when they tested positive for the virus, according to the ministry.

There were 555patients with COVID-19 who required intensive care, downfrom568 the day before and 608 the same time last week.

Roughly 83per cent of the people with COVID-19 in ICUs were admitted for reasons directly related to the virus.

The health ministry also reported another 72 deaths of people with the virus, bringing the official toll to 11,576.

As of this week, nearly 84per cent of Ontarians aged five years and older have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine while roughly 54 per cent of Ontarians aged 18 or older have received their booster dose, according to data from the ministry.

The province isn't reporting data on virus cases and outbreaks in schools but seven schools were reported closed due tooperational reasons.

Fifty-two per cent of Ontario's long-term care homes were experiencing COVID-19 outbreaksand 40 more deaths were reported among residents over the last two days.

Meanwhile, staff at Toronto's Humber River Hospital told CBC News that unprecedented COVID-19 hospitalizations have left themexhausted and struggling to care for a relentless wave of very sick people.

They saidlessons must be learned from this pandemic, so the next public health crisis is not as catastrophic.

WATCH takes a look inside Toronto hospital amid high COVID-19 hospitalizations:

Pushed to the brink, exhausted hospital staff say lessons must be learned

3 years ago

Duration 7:08

Unprecedented COVID-19 hospitalizations have left staff at Toronto's Humber River Hospital exhausted and struggling to care for a relentless wave of very sick people. They say lessons must be learned from this pandemic, so the next public health crisis is not as catastrophic.

On Tuesday, Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table released new modelling that suggests someresurgence of hospitalizationsfollowing the lifting of some public health measures in the province on Monday.

The group said wastewater data suggests COVID-19 is on the decline and has plateaued in Ontario but cases are expected to rise again as the province relaxes restrictions. However, it will be difficult to project future spread of the virus due to the changes in testing, thegroup said.

The modelling comes afterindoor dining, gyms and movie theatres were allowed toreopen with capacity limitsMonday after being forced to closeon Jan. 5 amid a surge in Omicron cases.