TORONTO — The upward spiral of COVID-19 cases in Ontario continued Wednesday.
The Ministry of Health reported 1,426 new cases, breaking the previous record set Tuesday when there were 1,338 cases.
There are 15 new deaths from the virus, bringing the total so far during the pandemic to 3,275.
Seven of the fatalities confirmed Wednesday involved residents of long-term care homes.
The Peel Region had the highest number of new cases in the province, 384.
The City of Toronto had 384 cases, and there were 180 in York Region.
The health ministry also reported 198 new COVID-19 cases related to schools, including at least 116 involving students.
So far, cases have occurred at 654 of Ontario's 4,828 schools.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit reported one new case within its jurisdiction, a day after it reported eight cases.
Of the 23 active cases Tuesday, 22 were linked to close contact with infected individuals, according to local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janet DeMille.
The source of the remaining case is unknown.
In a CBC interview Wednesday morning, DeMille said the 23 cases that had come to light over the past week primarily involve residents of a local supportive living facility, where she said individuals have been self-isolating and not posing a risk to others in the community.
No one in the TBDHU's jurisdiction is currently hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19.
