This week’s composite chart again illustrates the continuing seasonal rise in new COVID infections. Like me, I suspect that you are have been hearing about more people in your respective circles succumbing to their second or third COVID bouts, of varying durations and severity. 

I will be looking to find a more useful replacement of the Canada wastewater testing chart, the reliability of which has been vastly undercut by the Ford government’s typically short-sighted, politically-motivated decision to drop the provincial testing program. To my mind, that constitutes a more-than-sufficient reason to never again vote Conservative until and unless with a change in leadership they again begin to live up to the “Progressive” component of their party name! 

Ontario PCR test positivity rates and COVID hospitalization/ICU rates have continuing to rise at moderate rates. The most immediate concern is the PCR test positivity rate, which is on track to exceed last year’s peak if that trend continues for another couple of weeks. 

The most recent estimate by the independent COVID-19 Resources Canada statisticians of the number of Ontarians currently infected is now one in 43 people, somewhat less than their previous estimate but still sufficiently worrisome to justify mask-wearing in crowded indoor spaces like supermarkets and concert halls. 

The latest Public Health Canada data on currently-spreading COVID variants shows the continued dominance of the KP.3.1.1 strain, which now accounts for 68% of all new Canadian infections. The good news for those who received our last booster shot more than six months ago is that Health Canada has just approved the latest Modera version which was formulated against the current JN family of subvariants (which include the KP-prefixed strains). Existing boosters had been formulated against the XBB family, which was dominant last year but has since been almost entirely displaced. Approval of a Pfizer equivalent is expected imminently and supplies should be arriving at pharmacies within the next couple of weeks. I prefer to alternate suppliers to maximize my overall immunity so will be requesting an appointment for a Moderna shot in the hope of beating the rush.