Ontario has reported its lowest PCR test positivity rate in more than two months, along with a 13 percent weekly decline in COVID-19 related hospital admissions.

The Ministry of Health says that 8.4 percent of all samples processed by Ontario labs over the past 24 hours came back positive, the lowest number since February 22.

While officials warned that the true number of daily infections is likely up to 10 times the confirmed tested figure of 775 due to limited PCR testing eligibility, the positivity rate is a positive sign as Ontario emerges from the sixth wave of the pandemic.

Pressure on Ontario’s healthcare system continues to ease as well.

On Wednesday, the ministry reported that there are now 1,082 people in hospital with COVID-19. This is a one-day increase, as many hospitals did not report occupancy data for the weekend, but it is down roughly 13 percent from this time last week.

The number of patients in intensive care units is also declining but at a much slower rate. On Wednesday, 160 people with COVID-19 were in intensive care, down from 163 last week and 176 the week before.

Ontario’s scientific advisory panel estimated that at the current rate of decline, it will take 259 days for the number of people in intensive care with coronavirus to be cut in half.

In turn, infectious disease specialist Dr. Suzi Hota said on Wednesday morning, “The numbers are dropping very nicely, at least in the province. Hospitalizations are decreasing, wastewater surveillance indicates we’re at low levels (of virus activity), and things continue to decline across most of the province. So, you know, it’s really a nice little window of time where it’s safer.” She added, “Keep in mind, there is still COVID, and we’re still seeing cases.”

The peak of the sixth wave for hospital admissions was again reached on May 3, when 1,699 people with COVID-19 were admitted to Ontario hospitals.

Since then, most public health indicators have trended downward, although deaths, as a lagging indicator, have remained somewhat high.

On Wednesday, Ontario added another net 11 new deaths to the final COVID-19 toll.

It has added a net 76 new deaths to that number since last week, bringing the total number of people who have died from COVID-19 infection to 13,175.

Meanwhile, wastewater surveillance continues to indicate declining virus levels in most parts of the province. But initial estimates by the scientific panel show a slight increase in Northern Ontario and the east-central region of the province.

Hota said, “Given current conditions in the province, there is still a need for people to conduct their own personal risk assessments.”

She added that the summer outlook looks positive.

According to the latest data, there are now 147 confirmed COVID cases in long-term care homes, 90 in retirement homes, and 51 in hospitals. These numbers have decreased by between 17 and 35 percent on a weekly basis.

Edited by: Dima Abu Khair