Ontario removes more than 400 deaths from official COVID-19 count

Ontario has removed more than 400 deaths from its official COVID-19 count after the province says further analysis revealed the causes of those deaths weren't related to the disease.

TheMinistry of Health reported Friday that a total of 12,227 people with COVID-19 have died since Jan. 15, 2020, which is411 fewerthan yesterday's total of12,638 reported by Public Health Ontario.

"On March 11, 2022, the count of COVID-19 deaths was changed to exclude fatal cases of COVID-19 where the cause of death was found to be unrelated to COVID-19," reads a note explaining the methodology change on the ministry's website.

"As a result, a number of deaths have been removed from the total counts."

The province also changed the way it reports COVID-19 deaths starting Friday. The new method means the province will breakdown the number of new deaths according to three categories:whether COVID-19 caused a death, contributed to a death but was not the "underlying cause" or if a person'scause of death is unknown or missing.

2 years sinceCOVID-19declaredpandemic

The change comes as Canada observes a national day of observance, marking two years since the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.

"To the friends, families and communities who have lost loved ones, I offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences,"Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Ontario reported717 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Friday. Today's reported hospitalization number marks a decrease from Thursday, when 742 were reported to be in hospital. Last Friday, 821people were in hospital with COVID-19.

According toElliott,46 per cent of patients were admitted to hospital for COVID-19, while 54 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have since tested positive for the virus.

Of the hospitalizations reported, there are 238 patients in intensive care, down slightly from 244on Thursday, anddown from262 one week earlier.

Of the ICU patients, 76 per cent were admitted because ofCOVID-19, and 24 per centwere admitted for other reasons but later tested positive.

The Ministry of Health also reported another 2,130 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, thoughchief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore warned last week the actual number of newcases each day islikely 10 times higher than what is being reporteddue to limited PCR testing.

Mask mandates lifting March 21

On Wednesday, the province announced the removal of mask mandates in schools, restaurants, gyms and storesacross Ontarioon March 21.

Mooresaid the province is continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 data as it moves toward easing furtherpublic health measures.

"We do expect transmission to continue across Ontario so the risk is not gone, [it] does remain." Moore told CBC Radio'sMetroMorningon Thursday.

"It's just that now with our very high immunization rate, we're in a much better position to remove the mandate of masks."