Three new COVID deaths reported this week in Durham – two in Pickering

COVID-19 numbers dropped to 595 yesterday but delayed reporting has added three deaths to Durham Region’s totals, the first deaths in the latest surge of the Omicron variant.

Deaths were reported on New Year’s Eve in Pickering, New Year’s Day in Brock Township and again in Pickering on Monday.

There are an estimated 70 people in hospital with an unknown number in ICU. The active case count for the region only rose 29 to 6,757 as more people recover from the virus.

Pickering, with 139 new cases reported yesterday, was second only to the 148 of Ajax. Oshawa, with 119, and Whitby, with 104, also reported more than 100 new cases each.

There are 31 outbreaks in long-term care homes, retirement residences and hospitals, with 54 people isolating. That number does not count staff and out-of-region patients in local hospitals at nine of those 31 outbreaks.

The biggest outbreaks are at Hillsdale Estates in Oshawa with 14 residents self-isolating and Port Perry Place with 11.

There are 11 outbreaks at child care centres and 11 workplace outbreaks.