For the second time in three days, Ontario's Ministry of Health is reporting less than 200 new cases of COVID-19 within the province, marking a promising drop in at least one epidemiological figure locally.

Some 197 new cases of the coronavirus were recorded through the province's integrated Public Health Information System on Saturday, according to Sunday morning's data drop, bringing the total number of infections logged in Ontario since the pandemic first hit to 32,189.

Today's new case number represents an overall increase of just 0.6 per cent — and it's not for a lack of testing. Quite the contrary.

More encouraging covid-19 numbers for Ontario today.

🔥 197 cases, 7 day rolling average stands at 224
🔥hospitalizations down big again to 438 (-51)
🔥 patients in ICU seems to be steadily falling now down to 103 (-7)
🔥testing remains high ~23k#COVID19 #COVID19Ontario pic.twitter.com/MihMDvenW6

— Galen2021 (@Andrew36699022) June 14, 2020

Ontario public health units are said to have completed an impressive 23,278 tests for COVID-19 on Saturday — well over the province's benchmark of 16,000 per day and nearly reaching its stated capacity of 25,000.

As of Sunday, more than one million tests for COVID-19 (1,003,749) had been completed in Ontario. Just over 25,000 patients are currently listed as "under investigation."

Roughly 83.8 per cent of the province's more than 32,000 cases are also now considered to be resolved, adding to an already swelling recovery rate on Sunday and helping to offset the overall mortality rate of 7.8 per cent.

In #Ontario, just 197 #covid19 #coronavirus cases reported since yesterday. Now 32189 total, 26981 resolved, 2689 active, 2519 deaths. Updated 6/14/2020.#covid19Canada #COVIDー19 #onhealth #COVID_19 #covidontario #COVID19ontario #onpoli #FlattenTheCurve pic.twitter.com/m6j3lVzGYd

— Eugene Y. Chan, Ph.D. (@euges116) June 14, 2020

By the province's latest count, 2,519 have died as a result of contracting the highly-contagious virus in Ontario, 1,625 of them (64.5 per cent) residents of long-term care homes.

Twelve new deaths were confirmed through the Ministry of Health on Saturday as well — up from just nine the day previous but still quite low compared to the numbers we were seeing a month ago.

This should come as exciting news to those in parts of the province permitted to enter Stage 2 of the economic reopening process, and also to those in regions such as Toronto, which haven't yet been given the green light to reopen, but where members are watching case numbers closely in anticipation of that sweet, sweet day.

If numbers continue tracking like they have been in recent days, we could all be getting haircuts and sitting on patios before too long. Keep your distance socially and keep those fingers crossed!