Ontario’s COVID-19 tally now stands at 9,268 cases, 425 deaths

Another 631 Ontario residents have been listed as confirmed or probable cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 9,268 since the novel coronavirus first arrived in late January.

That's a 7.3 per cent increase, according to a Star compilation of data from provincial health units as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. There were 63 more deaths recorded since the same time Tuesday, lifting the tally to 425.

Ontario accounts for almost half of the 954 deaths from COVID-19 across Canada, where there are at least 27,540 cases.

With more and more frail and vulnerable nursing home residents being killed by the virus, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday "we all need to do better."

That topic, including a federal promise of wage supports for some nursing home staff and other essential workers, will be raised in his Thursday teleconference with provincial and territorial leaders.

Premier Doug Ford will reveal details Wednesday of an "enhanced action plan" to help long-term care homes, where he acknowledged the virus has spread like "wildfire."

More than 834 nursing home residents in Ontario have been infected by the virus, with at least 144 deaths and 453 nursing home workers also testing positive for COVID-19, according to provincial Ministry of Health statistics collected as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. Several nursing homes have dozens of deaths, and there are outbreaks in at least one-sixth of Ontario's more than 600 long-term care homes.

To date, 3,902 Ontarians who tested positive for the virus have recovered.

There were 795 patients in hospital with COVID-19, with 254 in intensive care and 188 of them requiring ventilators to assist breathing. Those numbers have been stable for days.

Another 6,010 Ontarians were tested for the virus, which is short of the target of 8,000 set for Wednesday, and 4,429 people were awaiting test results.

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