The number of people battling COVID-19 in Halton hospitals has slightly increased, up from five to six, according to Friday’s update from the Halton Region.

Four people were admitted because of COVID-19 and two admitted for other reasons but have since tested positive for the virus, the region’s COVID-19 dashboard shows.

The acute care bed occupancy rate is 103 per cent, while the ICU bed occupancy rate is 69 per cent.

Last Friday, there were four hospitalizations across the region.

No new deaths were reported and the death toll stands at 345.

The region also reported 58 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases — 20 in Burlington, 20 in Oakville, nine in Milton, and nine in Halton Hills. The actual numbers are likely to be higher.

There have been 44,154 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.

On Thursday, Halton administered 321 doses of COVID-19 vaccines. As of today, 1,273,294 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given. To date, 92 per cent of eligible Halton residents have had at least two doses and 58 per cent have received at least three.

According to officials, the risks of COVID-19 infection and hospitalizations among unvaccinated residents are typically higher compared to fully vaccinated residents.

CASES IN ONTARIO

The province reported 615 people in hospital and 193 in ICU due to COVID-19 on Friday. There were 2,502 new cases and six new deaths.

TOTAL CASES IN CANADA

Across the country, the number of confirmed cases, as of March 17 (7 p.m.), is 3,385,054 and 37,099 deaths. So far, 3,232,935 individuals have recovered from the respiratory disease. The number of total active cases is 115,020.

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