The modelling shows a wide range of scenarios for hospital admissions after many businesses and facilities were allowed to reopen this week with capacity limits, up to nearly 6,000 by midMarch
TORONTO - Ontario's expert science advisers say COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions will likely increase following Monday's reopening, but they are not sure by how much.
In new modelling released today, the COVID-19 science advisory table says public health measures have helped to control this wave, and any relaxation of them will increase the spread of COVID-19.
The modelling shows a wide range of scenarios for hospital admissions after many businesses and facilities were allowed to reopen this week with capacity limits, up to nearly 6,000 by mid-March.
The scenarios depend partly on how many people in the community have immunity from recent Omicron infections, a challenging number to determine given limits the province has placed on access to PCR testing.
Projections for intensive care unit occupancy also show a range of possibilities, but while Omicron may send a smaller proportion of people to hospital than Delta, the pressure on ICUs is expected to be prolonged.
Data from Ontario's COVID-19 wastewater signal suggests that cases peaked around Jan. 11, and that there may have been between 1.5 million and four million infections since Dec. 1.