Ontario breaks COVID-19 case record for second time in three days

Ontario recorded 1,589 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday, breaking the record set the previous day at 1,588 new cases.

The cases have been concentrated in Toronto and Peel as those two regions enter a government-imposed lockdown. Under the new restrictions, indoor and outdoor restaurant dining and shopping are closed. Indoor gatherings with individuals outside of immediate households is banned, and outdoor gatherings are restricted to ten people only.

Toronto and Peel are the current hotspots of new coronavirus cases in the province. Of the new recorded cases, 336 were in Toronto while 535 were in Peel. York Region, which managed to avoid a complete lockdown for the time being, recorded 205 new cases on Sunday, with the three regions combined constituting two thirds of all cases in the province, CP24 reports.

While case increases across the province does appear to be rising, active cases are below figures predicted by modelling. Modelling data released by the government earlier this month predicted between 2,000-2,500 new cases per day by this point with estimates ranging between 3,500-6,500 new cases per day by Christmas.

The average number of deaths per day has also risen slightly, from 18 to 19, as total cases continue to rise. The province also warns that its intensive care units are at risk of surpassing capacity, with 156 people across the province currently in ICUs as a result of coronavirus.

While the numbers being lower than predicted could be attributed to Doug Ford's October coronavirus restrictions, some doctors have questioned whether lockdowns are proving useful in fighting the pandemic. While health experts expected a decline in new cases to follow two weeks after the imposition of lockdowns, the province continues to break new case records.