Toronto continues its recovery from COVID-19 pandemic

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With over 80% of Toronto fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the city’s recovery from the pandemic continues to point in positive directions.

Speaking Monday at Toronto’s board of health meeting, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa said the data suggests strides are being made in its battle against the respiratory virus.

“We continue to see slow and steady progress in respect to the proportion of those who are vaccinated in our community,” she told the board, adding that over 240,000 doses have been administered since Sept. 5.

“Across the board, we are generally seeing improvements in pretty much every metric.”

The seven-day moving average of new cases, as of last week, is 69, with the weekly incidence rate sitting at 17 cases per 100,000 — that’s compared to a seven-day average of 143 a month ago, with the incidence rate for the last week of September at 35 cases per 100,000.

New hospitalizations also fell over the past 30 days, dropping from a seven-day average of 5.3 to 2.7, as did weekly averages for test positivity, dropping from 2.7% to 1.2% since late last month.

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Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vinita Dubey said the city is administering third COVID-19 doses for those eligible, a group that includes the immunocompromised including cancer patients, organ transplant recipients, those with existing conditions that weaken the immune system, and residents of long-term care homes.

“We anticipate there will be recommendations forthcoming from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) for which the Ministry of Health will likely adopt regarding third-dose vaccines,” Dubey said.

Determining policy on third doses is the responsibility of the province,  she said.

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter:  @bryanpassifiume