COVID-19: Ontario reports 939 new cases, prompts emergency cabinet meeting

Ontario reported 939 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday (Oct. 9), setting a new daily record for the province that was previously broken on Thursday.

Health Minister Christine Elliot Tweeted that there are 336 new cases in Toronto, 150 in Peel and 126 in Ottawa. She added that 724 cases have been resolved.

The number of confirmed cases across the province since the start of the pandemic is now up to 57,681, with 49,032 having been resolved.

The majority of new cases are in people under the age of 40: 484 of Friday’s cases were confirmed in that cohort.

The province also recorded five new COVID-19-related deaths, bring the provincial death toll to 2,997.

Other areas seeing an uptick in the number of new cases are Halton with 59 new cases, York Region with 68, and Hamilton with 40.

There are 56 newly confirmed school-related cases across the province, with at least 32 of those being among students, according to the provincial data.

Earlier this month, the province released the details of their most recent COVID-19 modelling that aims to predict the impact of the pandemic. The new model had Ontario on track for more than 1,000 new cases a day by mid-October.

As we head into the Thanksgiving long weekend, the messaging from the Government of Ontario is to avoid large gatherings, get away from social circles and to keep contact within members of your own household.

Premier Doug Ford’s Cabinet is slated to hold an emergency meeting Friday morning to discuss further public health measures, particularly in areas considered ‘hotspots’ for the virus.

Ford will be holding a press conference Friday afternoon to announce any further measures.

— with a photo from The Canadian Press