Has Ontario turned the corner on rising COVID case numbers?

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Ontario is showing tentative signs of flattening the latest COVID-19 wave, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams says.

It’s still too soon to determine if the trend will hold, especially with the presence in Ontario of the more contagious United Kingdom-identified variant, he said.

“We can’t let our guard down,” Williams said Monday.

Ontario reported 2,578 new cases of COVID-19 Monday, and the seven-day average of 3,035 daily cases is the lowest since Jan. 4.

When asked for specific targets the province needs to meet to end the current lockdown, Williams said he would like to see fewer than 150 COVID-19 patients in ICU beds and also pointed to the kind of daily case numbers experienced in October — most days well under 1,000.

There were 24 additional deaths attributed to COVID-19 Monday for a pandemic total of 5,433 lives lost.

Ongoing outbreaks were reported at 246 long-term care (LTC) homes with 1,622 residents and 1,313 staff having tested positive for COVID-19.

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Ontario hospitals reported 1,571 COVID-19 patients, 394 in intensive care and 303 on ventilators.

Health Minister Christine Elliott confirmed the province had asked for federal assistance in securing two military field hospitals to treat less severely-ill patients.

Elliott joined Premier Doug Ford at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital Monday to announce up to $125 million in funding to add over 500 critical-care and high-intensity-medicine beds to hospitals in COVID-19 hotspots.

When the Vaughan hospital opens Feb. 7, it will temporarily serve as additional capacity to relieve pressure on nearby hospitals coping with high numbers of COVID-19 patients, the government says.

aartuso@postmedia.com