Ontario reports 3,887 hospitalized with COVID-19, antiviral doses for most at risk arriving soon

Ontario reported3,887 hospitalizations of people with COVID-19 on Monday, with578 of those patientsin ICU.

It is important to note that not all hospitals in the province report hospitalization figures onweekends, so the real number could be higher.

The province also reported8,521 new cases of COVID-19 however, that number is not a reliable indicator of the true spread of the virus given restricted testing access. Officials also reported 22 more deaths.

Health Minister Christine Elliott also noted on Twitter on Monday that over 50 per cent of children aged five to 11 have now had a first dose of vaccine.

"Vaccines are safe, effective & the best way to protect children from the virus," Elliott said.

Ontario also reported Monday that it is expecting 10,000 courses of treatment of a new antiviral drug that can reduce therate of hospitalization and death among high-risk COVID-19 patients.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said that it should get shipments ofPfizer's antiviral, Paxlovid, this month.

"Based on the limited supply we expect to receive from the federal government, we have worked with our hospital partners and are prepared for distribution of antivirals at 15 sites across the province as soon we receive them. Courses will initially be prioritized for adults with the highest risk of severe outcomes including immunocompromised patients and could help keep thousands of people out of our hospitals," the statement reads.

"The arrival of these pills gives us increased confidence as we continue to review key indicators and data to determine when we can begin safely and gradually lifting public health measures, and we look forward to providing additional details in the near future."

Here are some other key pandemic indicators and figures from theMinistry of Health's daily provincial update:

• Tests completed:37,059.
• Provincewide test positivity rate: 24.2 per cent.
• Active cases:94,614.
• Patients in ICUwith COVID-related illnesses:578, with343 on a ventilator.
• Deaths: 22, pushing the official toll to10,628. Onedeath that happened overamonth agowas added to the cumulative count based on data cleaning, the province says.
• Vaccinations:67,184, bringing the total doses administered to date up to29,522,313. Currently,91.4 per centof Ontariansaged 12 and olderhave one dose of a vaccine, while88.7 per centhave two doses.