COVID-19

INFORMATION & RESOURCES

Reported COVID-19 Numbers as of 1:45 PM EST on Friday, March 5th, 2021

Globally: 116,447,544 total cases; 21,822,363 active cases; 2,585,023 deaths; 92,040,158 resolved
USA: 29,534,769 total cases; 8,905,966 active cases; 533,816 deaths; 20,094,987 resolved
Canada: 878,391 total cases; 29,903 active cases; 22,151 deaths; 826,337 resolved
Ontario: 310,164 total cases; 10,378 active cases; 7,046 deaths; 293,154 resolved

Press Conference Highlights

March 1st to 5th, 2021

On March 1st, the government of Canada announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine is now approved for use in Canada and that they are on track for all Canadians to have access to a vaccine by September.
Ontario reported the highest increase in new cases Thursday with another 994 infections and 10 new deaths.
Find out about the latest public health measures, advice and restrictions in your area. You can find your colour zone here.
Even as doses of vaccine are administered, it is critical to continue practicing public health measures to keep ourselves, families, and communities safe, especially considering that new, more transmissible COVID-19 variants are being detected across the country.
Click here for information for First Nations and Inuit communities in preparing for, monitoring and responding to COVID-19.

Canada wide updates:

87,085 tests performed today, 24,763,481 total tests performed, with a 3.7% positivity. Over 2.16 million vaccine doses have also been administered to date, while 1,992 people are currently in hospital due to the disease.
The majority of cases (67.8%) and deaths (78.9%) have been reported by Ontario and Quebec
On First Nations reserves, as of March 3rd, Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) is aware of 21,729 confirmed positive COVID-19, including 991 hospitalizations, 20,114 recovered cases, and 240 deaths.
- The rate of reported COVID-19 cases in First Nations is currently 74% higher than in the broader Canadian population.
- The COVID-19 case fatality rate among First Nations is about 42% of the case fatality rate in the general Canadian population.
- 92% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.
Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand stated that Canada was on track to receive approximately 945,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine supply this week, which she stated includes the weekly Pfizer shipment and the first shipment of the newly approved AstraZeneca vaccine.
Several premiers announced new plans to move their provincial rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine to four-month intervals between doses, instead of the 3-4 week schedule recommended for the Pfizer and Moderna shots.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is the fourth COVID-19 shot approved for use in Canada and the only one that requires just a single dose. Canada has pre-purchased 10 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson product with options to buy another 28 million doses. In clinical trials, the vaccine was shown to be 66% effective overall in preventing moderate to severe COVID-19, and also effective against variants of concern

Ontario specific updates:

Provincially, as of March 5th, the 7-day average number of daily cases was 1,063, test positivity was 2.3% for the last week.
There are currently 649 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 281 of which are in the ICU. Of those, 183 are on a ventilator.
There have been 1,285 cases of COVID-19 reported to date on-reserve in Ontario.
Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario stated that in the past eight days, 26% of all positive samples screened positive for a variant of concern.
Premier Ford joined Canada’s Premiers for a Virtual News Conference where they called upon the federal government to increase the Federal Health Transfer from 22% to 35%. They deem the increase reasonable and based on a long-term forecast by every province and territory. This must be addressed in the upcoming federal government budget as there is a risk that the provinces won’t be able to pay for all the services their populations need. The most vulnerable will suffer. The costs of COVID will be for the long-term: for long-term symptoms, catching up on surgeries.
- Premier Ford stated that as they are waiting to get more supplies from the feds they are focused on the administration of the vaccines. Yesterday, Ontario reached a new record of over 30,000 doses administered.
- As the pandemic declines, there will be 2 top priorities for all Canadians: rebuild our economy and rebuild our health care system. The re-build of the health care system will be more difficult – the economy is already in the re-building process. In addition to back-logged surgeries, there are many people struggling with mental health issues and long-term care homes are in desperate need of support.

COVID-19 Related Press Releases

March 1st to 5th, 2021

Provincial:

Ontario Provides Additional Support for Municipalities During COVID-19. March 4th
Ontario Hires 100 Additional Health and Safety Inspectors. March 3rd
Ontario Provides More Than $1 Billion In Support for Small Business. March 2nd
Ontario Keeping Seniors Safe and Socially Connected during COVID-19. March 1st
Ontario Increases Support for Transit Across the Province. March 1st

Federal:

Additional Resources

Take a COVID-19 self-assessment if you or someone you know was exposed to COVID-19, or if you have symptoms. You will receive directions on what to do next.
ONWA COVID-19 Resource Page
Daily updates for COVID-19 in Ontario and in Canada
COVID-19 response framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open
Learn about Ontario’s Vaccine Strategy, including vaccine safety.
Additional information about vaccine safety, concerns and possible side effects

Download the COVID Alert App.
COVID-19: Support for People has information about the many available/free mental health services and supports.
Small business owners in Ontario can visit www.ontario.ca/COVIDsupport to access support such as the Ontario Small Business Support Grant.