TORONTO — Ontario reported 3,814 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday, including 527 in intensive care.
This is an increase of 184 hospitalizations and 27 intensive care patients since the previous day. There were 288 people on ventilators due to COVID-19, up 13 from Thursday.
The government is also reporting 41 new deaths from the virus.
There were 10,964 new cases of COVID-19, but Public Health recalls that this toll is probably higher, since screening is now aimed at priority clienteles.
Provincial data shows that 82.2% of Ontarians aged five and older have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and 88% have received at least one dose. Among those aged 12 and over, 91% received at least one dose, while among children aged five to eleven, nearly half (48.5%) received the first dose.
Fourth dose for the very vulnerable
Immunocompromised Ontarians can make an appointment for a fourth dose since Friday morning.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore, said the decision was intended to provide additional protection for the most vulnerable populations.
Appointments for those “moderately to severely immunocompromised” were available at 8 a.m. through the provincial vaccine contact center.
The Ontario government has already started administering fourth doses in long-term care homes, retirement homes and other facilities that house vulnerable people.
At a press conference on Thursday, Dr. Moore also lamented that patients who received a transplant were delaying receiving their third dose. He said only 64% of transplant patients had received their third dose so far.