The number of people who've died as a result of contracting the 2019 novel coronavirus both reached and then surpassed the 300 mark in Ontario between Monday and Tuesday, according to health officials.

Public Health Ontario is reporting 334 total COVID-19 deaths across the province as of Tuesday — a jump of 43 people and an increase of 14.8 per cent overnight.

As it stands now, 4.2 per cent of all people in the province diagnosed with COVID-19 have died — the majority of them (roughly 63 per cent) over the age of 80, and another 30 per cent between the ages of 60 and 80.

Analysts have been pointing out, however, that Ontario's mortality rate is likely skewed due to a lack of people being tested for the virus. 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered an immediate increase in the number of tests being performed, but healthcare professionals have yet to ramp up to the 13,000 tests per day Ford says the province is capable of.

The results of just over 4,800 tests were recorded in Ontario on Monday and a backlog is once again growing with the number of cases "currently under investigation" now at 2,107 in Ontario — nearly a thousand more than there were pending on Sunday.

UPDATED #Covid19Ontario tracker Apr.14th +483 new cases, 2107 tests pending, 4852 test increase from Apr.13th. 43 deaths - highest single-day increase so far. ICU #'s steady.
Chart: https://t.co/dbnKbLMPLd
Source: https://t.co/weqH8S79l8
Data Table: https://t.co/uQUch1ypzg pic.twitter.com/8nObhXIyYp

— !PO! (@hungrypo) April 14, 2020

In terms of patient numbers, Ontario continues to climb with 7,953 cases of COVID-19 now confirmed through Ontario's integrated public health information system.

This represents a one-day increase of 483 confirmed cases, or 6.5 per cent, over what we saw the day previous.

Predictive modelling projections released earlier this month suggest that Ontario will see 80,000 cases of COVID-19 confirmed by the end of April, with 1,600 fatalities, but officials seem optimistic that the worst of this outbreak will soon be behind us.

"The modellers have told us that the peak is likely going to happen this week — that's assuming all the measures in place continue," Ontario's associate chief medical officer of health, Barbara Yaffe, said during a press conference Monday afternoon.

"I think, if they're in fact correct and things continue, after a peak usually things go down … so that does give me a glimmer of hope but with some caution built in."

Hospitalizations/ICU for #COVID19 in #Ontario📈🇨🇦

Hospitalizations non-ICU: 514
ICU non-ventilated: 56
ICU+ventilator: 199

This is the curve to watch for "flattening"! #COVIDー19 #COVID19ON #COVID19Ontario #PlankTheCurve #FlattenTheCurve pic.twitter.com/fwFBGAdoHT

— Dr. Jennifer Kwan (@jkwan_md) April 14, 2020

Fortunately, the number of patients who are now considered to be recovered from the virus continues to climb alongside case and death totals.

With 211 new cases marked as "resolved" on the government's dedicated COVID-19 web portal today, Ontario's recovery rate holds stable at 44.9 per cent of all cases.

Canada-wide, 26,206 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded along with 823 deaths and 7,992 recoveries.

The World Health Organization is currently reporting 1,773,084 cases and 111,652 deaths globally.

"Every country should be implementing a comprehensive set of measures to slow down transmission and save lives, with the aim of reaching a steady state of low-level or no transmission," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an address on Monday.

"Ultimately, the development and delivery of a safe and effective vaccine will be needed to fully interrupt transmission."