COVID-19 cases spike slightly with Whitby the hot spot

New COVID-19 cases spiked slightly to 88 Tuesday, with Whitby continuing to report the highest number of cases in Durham.

Whitby reported 24 yesterday, bringing their seven-day total to 158. The only other towns with more than 100 were Oshawa (108) and Clarington (104). The active case count is 454, up twenty from Monday.

There were no new deaths to report.

Institutional outbreaks have now been reduced to just four, affecting just 14 people. Ten of those (with 13 resolved) are at Abbeylawn Retirement Home in Pickering. Hospitalizations are up one to 29 with only three patients remaining in ICU.

School absenteeism numbers are in for last week and the totals are normal for this time of year, with a 4.6 per cent absentee rate in child care centres; 2.9 per cent in elementary schools; and 2.8 per cent in secondary schools.