The latest results of confirmed swine flu cases in Ontario show a 41 per cent increase in the number of infected people, the majority of them in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Ministry of Health yesterday revealed 143 new cases of the H1N1 flu virus in the province, a jump from 352 to 495 cases. Of those, 139 of the new cases have been reported by public health units in Greater Toronto.
The GTA now accounts for 451 cases, or 91 per cent, of all cases in the province.
Provincial officials say the increase in numbers is due to more monitoring, testing and clearing of a backlog of cases.
“The large increase in cases is due to enhanced surveillance, increased laboratory testing capacity and the processing of a backlog of tests conducted on the weekend by public health officials,” Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s acting chief medical officer of health, stated in a news release yesterday.
Toronto has had 237 cases, or almost half of the total cases in the province.
