Ontario reports ‘small decline’ in measles, 89 new cases [Video]

Ontario is reporting 89 new measles cases over the last week, bringing the province’s case count to 661 since an outbreak began in the fall.

That’s compared to just over 100 new cases last week and 120 the week before.

Dr. Sarah Wilson, a public health physician at Public Health Ontario, said numbers “look to be stabilizing somewhat in the range of around 100 cases a week.”

“But, I also want to be really clear – that’s still 100 cases a week too many of measles,” Wilson said Thursday.

Wilson said there were 52 hospitalizations – 10 more than last week – including three in intensive care.

“There is this, I think myth, among some individuals that measles is a harmless, trivial, mild infection,” she said.

She also said measles cases still predominantly involve unvaccinated children in Ontario’s Southwestern Public Health unit, which accounts for almost 45 per cent of …