Ontario has 2,965 cases of COVID-19, 85 deaths

Another 115 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 have been reported by public health units in Ontario overnight, bringing the total to 2,965 people infected since late January.

Two more deaths were reported, for a total of 85 to date, according to a Star compilation of data posted by 34 regional health units since 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The total number of cases has tripled since the level of 938 reached last Thursday, when there were just 16 deaths.

More than half of the cases - 1,740 - are in the GTA, where 34 deaths have been recorded.

These statistics are based on the latest news releases from health units and postings to their websites as of 10:30 a.m.

They are higher than figures posted by the Ministry of Health, which bases the official numbers it releases daily at 10:30 a.m. on information received by 4 p.m. the previous day.

Ministry numbers show that at least 831 cases have been cleared, and that the testing backlog has been reduced by about 1,000 over the last 24 hours to 2,052 people awaiting test results.

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1