The province will be overhauling the way COVID-19 is reported starting Friday (March 11th).
As a part of Ontario’s plan to live with and manage COVID-19, officials will no longer consider deaths COVID-related if the virus itself was not the cause of death.
Officials say this change will cause a drop in the total number of deaths reported by the province because people who die with the virus and not because of it will no longer be counted as a COVID-19 death.
Testing guidelines are also getting an update to prioritize those at highest risk and those working in highest risk settings. The province is also dropping its reporting on the virus’ reproductive number, which represents how many people one person can infect.
The province says reporting on percent positivity, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions will stay the same.
***With files from Mo Fahim
