Ontario reports highest COVID-19 case count since July 1

The Government of Ontario confirmed 258 new COVID-19 cases and six virus-related deaths on Saturday morning, the highest case count since July 1.

Today’s cases are higher than Friday’s 226, Thursday’s 218, Wednesday’s 158, Tuesday’s 129, Monday’s 119, and Sunday’s 172.

Of the newly announced cases, 53 are in Toronto, 33 are in York Region, 28 are in the Region of Waterloo, 27 are in Hamilton, and 26 are in Peel Region.

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Health Minister Christine Elliott said over 19,100 tests were completed, and 19,459,198 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered.

Ontario is reporting 258 cases of #COVID19 and over 19,100 tests completed. Locally, there are 53 new cases in Toronto, 33 in York Region, 28 in the Region of Waterloo, 27 in Hamilton and 26 in Peel Region.

— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) July 31, 2021

On Friday, officials revealed several regulations that will be in place when Ontario exits Step 3 of the provincial COVID-19 reopening plan.

Masks will still be required in indoor public settings, and restaurants will still need to ensure customers are physically distanced or separated by an “impermeable barrier.”

When Ontario leaves the reopening framework, capacity limits will be lifted and schools will be permitted to open for in-person learning.

Ontario entered Step 3 on July 16, and must remain in the step for at least 21 days or until key public health indicators are met.

To date, Ontario has seen 550,436 COVID-19 cases and 9,345 virus-related deaths.