by: blair crawford
ontario reported 159 new cases of covid-19 friday, the day the province entered step 3 of its gradual reopening program.
there were 10 new deaths reported, bringing the toll to 9,285 since the pandemic began.
friday’s numbers include 34 new cases in grey bruce, 25 in waterloo, 23 in toronto and 12 in peel region. more than 168,000 vaccine doses were administered thursday, bringing the total to 17.8 million for the province.
there are 159 people in hospital, 158 in intensive care and 112 on ventilators.
there were no new cases reported in eastern ontario’s five public health units, including ottawa, the province reported. ottawa public health reports its own statistics later in the day.
meanwhile, as the case count falls, ontarians were able hit the gym, have breakfast inside their favourite restaurant, catch a movie and gather indoors in groups of 25 under the step 3 rules that came into effect at one minute past midnight.
most of the remaining restrictions could be lifted as soon as 21 days after step 3.
according to the province, step 3 conditions will apply until 80 per cent of the eligible provincial population aged 12 and over has received one dose of a covid-19 and 75 per cent have received their second, with no public health unit having less than 70 per cent of their eligible population aged 12 and over fully vaccinated.