Ontario reports nearly 500 new COVID-19 cases, with 302 in unvaccinated people

Ontario reported 485 new COVID-19 cases and three more deaths Wednesday.

It appears the province’s drop below 400 new infections per day on Tuesday was short-lived, with new infection numbers bouncing back to nearly 500 on Wednesday.

The weekly rolling average now sits at 495, the highest it’s been since mid-June.

Most new cases are in unvaccinated individuals, according to Health Minister Christine Elliot. Of the new infections on Wednesday, 309 are in unvaccinated people, and 41 are partially vaccinated.

Unvaccinated individuals make up the majority of hospital and ICU admissions, too. Of 174 people in hospital with COVID-19, only 14 are fully vaccinated.

ICU numbers were unavailable Wednesday due to a technical error.

There are 485 new cases of COVID-19. 309 cases are in unvaccinated individuals and 41 in partially vaccinated individuals.

— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) August 18, 2021

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Ontario has so far administered more than 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. Everyone 12 and up is eligible to get their shot and can book an appointment through the province’s online portal.

Right now, 82% of eligible Ontarians have at least one dose, and 74% have two.

To date, the province has seen 556,920 total cases and 9,431 deaths.