Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario (2021)

The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario throughout 2021.

Timeline January

Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Hospitalizations Sources New Total New Total New Total Total ICU Ventilators1 2,476 - - - - - - - - 2 3,363 187,998 - - 95 4,626 1,000 322 220 3 2,964 190,962 - 162,701 25 4,650 998 329 228 4 3,270 194,232 2,074 164,775 29 4,697 1,190 333 194 5 3,128 197,360 2,015 166,790 51 4,730 1,347 352 245 6 3,266 200,626 3,005 169,795 37 4,767 1,463 361 246 7 3,519 204,145 2,776 172,571 89 4,856 1,472 363 242 8 4,249 208,394 2,738 175,309 26 4,882 1,446 369 250 9 3,443 211,837 2,915 178,224 40 4,922 1,457 - 244 10 3,945 215,782 2,496 180,720 61 4983 1,483 388 266 11 3,338 219,120 - - 29 5,012 1,563 409 268 12 2,903 222,023 - - 41 5,053 1,701 385 262 13 2,961 224,984 3,392 190,221 74 5,127 +1,600 385 276 14 3,326 228,310 - - 62 5,189 1,657 388 280 15 2,998 231,308 3,380 197,194 100 5,289 1,647 387 280 16 3,056 234,364 3,212 200,406 51 5,340 1,632 397 281 17 3,422 237,786 3,078 - 69 5,409 - - - 18 2,578 240,364 - 206,310 24 5,433 1,571 394 303 19 1,913 242,277 2,873 209,183 46 5,479 1,626 400 292 20 2,655 244,932 3,714 212,897 89 5,568 1,598 395 296 21 2,632 247,564 2,990 215,887 46 5,614 1,533 388 293 22 2,622 250,226 3,375 219,262 43 5,701 1,512 383 291 23 2,359 252,585 3,025 222,287 52 - 1,501 395 299 24 2,417 255,002 - 225,046 50 5,803 1,436 392 301 25 1,958 256,960 - 227,494 43 5,846 1,398 397 283 26 1,740 258,700 2,261 229,755 63 5,909 1,466 383 298 27 1,670 260,370 2,725 232,480 41 5,958 1,382 377 291 28 2,093 262,463 2,491 234,971 56 6,014 1,338 358 276 29 1,837 264,300 - 237,871 58 6,072 1,291 360 271 30 2,063 266,363 2,623 240,494 73 6,145 1,501 396 299 31 1,848 268,211 2,313 242,807 43 6,188 1,159 356 252

Ontario recorded another record-breaking day of new cases on January 2, 2021, with 3,363 new infections reported.

The Ontario government, having faced criticism for a slow rollout of vaccinations, announced on January 5 their plan to vaccinate all residents, health workers and essential caregivers in long-term care (LTC) homes by January 21.

Ontario recorded two records on January 7 – a record high in new infections at 3,519 new cases and the deadliest day of the pandemic so far with 89 deaths. In response to the continued surge, the province announced that the Provincewide Shutdown would be extended in northern Ontario for an additional 14 days (aligned with the length of Provincewide Shutdown in the south), and that elementary schools in the south will not return to in-person class until January 25.

On January 8, Ontario again recorded a new record high of new infections with 4,249 new cases. Premier Doug Ford hinted at furthering restrictions on top of the already in place Provincewide shutdown.

Due to the surge of new infections, Premier Ford issued a second declaration of emergency on January 12. Additional stay-at-home orders were announced, including the reduction of outdoor gatherings to five people, and a reduction of hours for non-essential businesses allowed to only operate between 7:00 a.m. and 8 p.m. These new restrictions begin on January 14. Also, students in Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton, and Windsor-Essex will not return to in-person classes until February 10, 2021.

Results of an inspection "blitz" over the weekend of January 15 on big-box stores revealed a compliance rate of 70 percent with 36 of 110 stores visited at random in violation of COVID-19 protocols.

On January 15, all LTC home residents and staff in Toronto had received at least first doses of the vaccine and on January 19, all LTC home residents and staff in COVID-19 hot spots had received at least first doses of the vaccine, ahead of the January 21 goal date set by the provincial vaccine taskforce.

Due to manufacturing delays, it was also announced on January 19 that no new shipments of the Pfizer vaccine would be arriving in Ontario the following week, delaying first and second dose administration in the government's overall vaccination program.

On January 28, Peel Region's Medical Officer Lawrence Loh suggested that all online retail operating in the province be restricted from selling non-essential goods, in order to protect supply chains due to workplace outbreaks.

On January 29, 2021, the federal government announced new travel restrictions, including that individuals travelling on foreign flights would be required to take COVID-19 PCR test on arrival and quarantine in an approved hotel at their expense.

February

Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Hospitalizations Sources New Total New Total New Total Total ICU Ventilators 1 1,969 270,180 2,132 244,939 36 6,224 1,398 397 283 2 745 270,925 2,297 247,236 14 6,238 1,192 341 253 3 1,172 272,097 - 248,981 - 6,305 1,066 336 254 4 1,563 273,660 - 250,937 88 6,393 1,101 323 241 5 1,670 275,330 - 253,170 45 6,438 1,043 325 225 6 1,388 276,718 - - 45 6,483 1,021 325 228 7 1,489 278,207 1,937 256,903 22 6,505 926 335 233 8 1,265 279,472 1,700 258,063 33 6,538 901 335 226 9 1,022 280,494 1,388 259,991 17 6,555 909 318 223 10 1,072 281,566 1,709 261,700 41 6,596 948 313 226 11 945 282,511 - 136,988 18 6,614 883 299 211 12 1,076 283,587 1,415 264,459 18 6,632 763 295 204 13 1,300 284,887 1,434 265,893 19 6,651 786 287 203 14 981 285,800 1,235 267,128 42 6,693 705 292 203 15 964 - - - - - - - - 16 904 287,736 2,285 269,413 26 6,719 742 292 201 17 847 288,583 - 270,869 10 6,729 719 298 211 18 1,083 289,621 1,277 272,146 44 6,773 758 277 192 19 1,150 290,771 1,255 273,401 47 6,820 689 269 190 20 1,228 291,999 1,313 274,714 28 6,848 699 263 181 21 1,087 293,086 1,140 275,854 13 6,861 660 277 181 22 1,058 294,144 - 276,937 11 6,872 646 280 189 23 975 295,119 - 277,939 12 6,884 718 283 186 24 1,054 296,173 - 279,230 9 6,893 675 287 192 25 1,138 297,311 1,094 280,324 23 6,916 687 283 182 26 1,258 298,569 1,007 281,331 28 6,944 683 284 193 27 1,185 299,754 - 282,315 16 6,960 680 276 182 28 1,062 300,816 - 283,344 20 6,980 627 289 185 On February 8, Premier Ford announced that the declaration of emergency would expire, but that the stay-at-home order would be extended in the majority of health regions to facilitate a gradual reinstatement of the colour-coded response framework. The order was first lifted on February 10 in Eastern Ontario's Hastings Prince Edward Public Health Unit, the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington Health Unit, and the Renfrew County and District Health Unit. The stay-at-home order is expected to be lifted in most of Ontario on February 16, excluding Peel, Toronto, and York, and any other area where the province believes it is not yet safe to lift the order. The stay-at-home order is expected to be lifted in Peel, Toronto, and York on February 22. The response framework will also allow non-essential retail to operate with a 25 percent capacity limit if a region is under the grey "Lockdown" tier.

On February 11, the Ontario government announced March Break would be postponed for a month, to the week of April 12 and renamed Spring Break. Also on the same day, the Minister of Health admitted that the province had not met its deadline to vaccinate all long-term care homes, after mistakenly announcing that it had.

On February 26, Health Canada approved the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use.

March

Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Active Hospitalizations Sources New Total New Total New Total Total Total ICU Ventilators 1 1,023 301,839 - 284,283 6 6,986 - 659 280 175 2 966 302,805 - 285,262 11 6,997 10,546 677 284 189 3 958 303,763 - 286,352 17 7,014 10,397 668 274 188 4 994 304,757 1,072 287,424 10 7,024 10,309 687 283 182 5 1,250 306,007 - 288,583 22 7,046 10,378 643 280 183 6 990 306,997 1,125 289,735 6 7,052 - 620 278 181 7 1,299 308,296 1,105 290,840 15 - - 606 273 179 8 1,661 309,927 994 291,834 10 7,077 - 626 282 184 9 1,185 311,112 - 292,806 6 7,083 11,223 689 290 184 10 1,316 312,428 - 294,018 16 7,099 - 678 281 178 11 1,092 313,520 1,110 295,128 10 7,109 - 680 277 184 12 1,371 314,891 - 296,252 18 7,127 11,512 676 282 189 13 1,468 316,359 - 297,403 11 7,138 - 689 275 175 14 1,747 318,106 - 298,570 - 7,153 - 601 282 186 15 1,268 319,374 1,114 299,684 9 7,162 - 699 298 187 16 1,074 320,448 7,173 300,769 11 7,173 - 761 292 194 17 1,508 321,956 - 302,257 - 7,187 - 741 300 190 18 1,553 303,493 - 303,493 15 7,202 - 730 304 186 19 1,745 325,254 1,296 304,789 - - - 759 309 176 20 1,829 327,083 1,261 306,050 11 7,723 - 765 302 189 21 1,791 328,874 1,353 307,403 18 7,241 - 760 305 186 22 1,699 330,573 - 308,578 3 7,244 - 813 298 186 23 1,546 332,119 - 309,849 - 7,253 - 868 324 193 24 1,571 333,690 1,531 311,380 10 7,263 - 893 333 210 25 2,380 336,070 - 312,709 - 7,280 - 894 332 212 26 2,169 338,239 1,675 314,384 12 7,292 - 913 359 215 27 2,453 340,692 - 315,865 16 7,308 - 985 365 192 28 2,448 343,140 - 317,408 19 7,327 - 917 366 217 29 2,094 345,234 1,524 318,932 10 7,337 - 841 382 236 30 2,336 347,570 - 320,409 14 7,351 - 1,090 387 249 31 2,333 349,903 1,973 322,382 15 7,337 - - 421 -

On March 3, the first Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in Canada, and were distributed to Ontario. The shots will be given to pharmacies in Toronto, Windsor-Essex and Kingston for early application through a pilot programme.

On March 5, Health Canada approved the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine for use. The vaccine is the only approved vaccine to require one dose.

Also on March 5, the Ontario government announced Toronto, Peel and North Bay-Parry Sound will exit stay-at-home orders in place since January. Toronto and Peel will enter lockdown (grey) zone and North Bay-Parry Sound will enter control (red).

On March 12, Peel Public Health ordered an Amazon fulfillment centre closed, after a large outbreak, forcing thousands of workers to self-isolate.

On March 15, the Ontario Hospital Association declared Ontario was in a Third Wave of the virus. Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table seconded the announcement. In response, Premier Ford told Ontarians: "we can't let our guard down for a second. We have to make sure we social distance, constantly be wearing a mask, and follow the protocols of the chief medical officer."

On March 29, per a recommendation issued by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), Ontario and other provinces suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for patients younger than 55 years old, due to concerns over a rare side effect of blood clots with low blood platelets.

April