This is Oakville's coronavirus update for Saturday, March 2, 2024. After three weeks of Oakville reporting worsening case numbers, the number of new cases dropped substantially this week.
Halton region is now averaging 3.1 new daily cases, way down from last week's 7.4 per day. The testing positivity and number of outbreaks remain consistent, with moderate local exposure risk.
Testing positivity sits at 10.3% of all conducted tests in Halton. Those only include those confirmed by a lab-conducted PCR test.
Halton region has revised their vaccination data, saying they've over reported the number of people given COVID-19 booster shots in late 2023. What was reported as 18% coverage in February has been reduced to now only 15%.
While active cases are still being recorded slightly higher than recoveries, the number of new active cases has slowed substantially in the last few weeks - in some provinces, the decline in new cases has been 60 per cent or more since February 1.
Nationwide, Canada reports the number of hospitalizations are decreasing by dozens of cases every day. The World Health Organization did not publish any updates this week.
7 million people worldwide have died due to COVID-19, though the real count of unofficial deaths is millions higher. Just under 775 million confirmed cases have been counted worldwide since the start of the pandemic.
**Vaccine booking: All doses and booster doses are now available for anyone in Halton age 5 and up. First doses are available for those six months and older.
While Halton's vaccine clinics are now closed, most pharmacies and health care centres are offering all numbered doses and boosters to patients.
New data from Halton Regional Health as of this week:
Halton is averaging 3.1 new COVID-19 cases per day, an significant decrease from last week's 7.1 average daily cases.
- There are 4 active outbreaks in Halton (same as last week)
- 10.3% of locally administered COVID-19 tests are coming back positive (0.1% more than last week)
- 4 people are being treated in hospital with COVID-19 (1 more than last week)
Vaccinations in Halton Region:
- At least 1.67 million doses have been administered in Halton
- 94% of Halton residents have at least two doses (the primary series)
- 15% of eligible Halton residents (age 12+) are up to date on their booster shots (have had the primary series and a booster dose in the last six months)
- 46% of eligible residents have a primary series and a booster more than six months ago
Canadian COVID-19 Update:
- Canada has had 4.67 million cumulative cases of COVID-19
- There are 665,850 active cases in Canada (+800 this week)
- 2,742 people are currently in hospital (-107 this week)
- There are 52,376 deaths to date (+23 this week)
- 82.59% of Canadians have at least two doses of vaccine
- 51.64% of Canadians are vaccinated including one or more booster doses
Global COVID-19 Update:
- U.S. hospitalizations are down 10.3% this past week
- U.S. deaths have decreased 8.7% this week
- Americans up-to-date with all recommended vaccine booster doses are no longer being reported by the CDC
- 774.63 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic started; 7.03 million people have died
- 82,400 people worldwide have been infected in the last seven days
The evidence is clear: though transmission has dramatically slowed, vaccination (including all recommended booster shots) is still the best way to be protected from contracting COVID-19.
Local, provincial, national and international health units affirm the same data that Canada's approved vaccines and all boosters effectively protect you from COVID-19 and significantly reduces your risk of getting sick, going to the hospital, and dying from the disease.
Book a vaccination appointment for any numbered dose of vaccine, including all boosters, online here
Sources:
- Halton Region (and halton.ca/covid19)
- Halton Healthcare
- Joseph Brant Hospital
- HDSB COVID Advisory Page
- The Government of Ontario dashboard
- Public Health Ontario COVID-19 Data Tool
- Government of Canada
- COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker Canada
- The U.S. Centre for Disease Control
- Our World in Data
- Johns Hopkins University Research Centre
- World Health Organization