Published Tuesday, November 3, 2020 10:21AM EST
Last Updated Tuesday, November 3, 2020 10:53AM EST
Today's case count is up from the 948 new cases confirmed on Monday and the 977 new infections reported on Sunday.
The rolling seven-day average of new cases now stands at 950, up from 885 one week ago.
Only 25,300 tests were processed yesterday, approximately half of the province's goal of 50,000 tests per day.
The test positivity rate provincewide is now 4.2 per cent, up from 3.46 per cent last week.
Fourteen more virus-related deaths were also recorded in Ontario today, double the number of fatalities confirmed one day earlier.
Eight of those deaths involve residents of long-term care homes in the province.
Of the new cases reported today, 408 were from Toronto, 212 were from Peel Region, 86 were from Halton Region, 76 were recorded in York Region, and 57 were in Durham Region.
The new data comes on the same day Premier Doug Ford is expected to unveil details of a new tiered system for COVID-19 restrictions that will give regions clear criteria for when to implement closures and lockdowns.
Sources confirmed the plans to CTV News Toronto on Monday and noted that the new system will help business owners and local public health units better predict when more restrictions may be coming.
"I think it is a great idea. It is a regional approach which is smart," Infectious diseases expert Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CP24 on Tuesday morning.
He noted that transparent metrics should reduce ambiguity when it comes to knowing when COVID-19 restrictions should be put in place.
"If this is data-driven and transparent, everybody knows what to expect and when to expect it," he said.
Ford is also expected to provide more information today about whether restrictions will be eased in the province’s COVID-19 hot spots next weekend.
Ford met with members of his cabinet on Monday to look over a propsosal from public health officials on how restrictions could be eased in regions that were previously reverted back to a modified version of Stage 2.
On Oct. 10, gyms and movie theatres were closed and indoor dining was halted in Toronto, Peel Region, and Ottawa for 28 days in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
That 28-day period expires on Saturday and the premier has said his health table will be looking at how these businesses could reopen safely as early as next weekend.
York Region is also currently in a modified version of Stage 2 but the 28-day period for that region is in effect until Nov. 16.
More to come...