Ontario residents are waking up to encouraging news this Mother's Day, despite spending their eighth Sunday in a row locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ministry of Health is reporting only 294 new cases of COVID-19 today — the lowest number we've seen since late March and the first new case count below 300 in more than a month.

With a total number of 20,238 cases now confirmed across the province, this represents a one-day increase of just 1.5 per cent.

Better still, only 35 new deaths due to COVID-19 were recorded through the province's integrated Public Health Information System on Saturday, down from 59 the day previous and 63 the day before that.

As of Sunday morning, the overall mortality rate for the virus in Ontario stands at 8.1 per cent.

Cases considered "resolved," however, account for a whopping 73 per cent of all cases confirmed since January 15, with 14,772 patients now considered to be recovered (by the province's standards, which no longer require someone to test negative for the virus after being infected.)

Record lowest percentage daily increase of #covid19 #coronavirus in #Ontario, #Canada. Just a 1.5% increase from yesterday. Updated 5/10/2020.#covid19Canada #COVIDー19 #onhealth #COVID_19 #covidontario #COVID19ontario #onpoli pic.twitter.com/JHpw1ncWpI

— Eugene Y. Chan, Ph.D. (@euges116) May 10, 2020

The number of tests performed each day continues to rise as well. A record 17,618 were completed on Saturday according to the Ministry of Health, making the relatively low number of new cases reported this morning all the more encouraging.

Ontario has yet to hit the mark of 200 new cases per day or less — the figure Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams says he'd like to see before the government fully reopens the economy — but our number suggest we're definitely beyond the peak of this outbreak.

Save for a few spikes here and there, the number of new cases per day recorded in Ontario is falling steadily, particularly among the general public, according to Premier Doug Ford.

Situational dashboard for #COVID19Ontario by the #HowsMyFlattening team, including Rt value & LTC/hospital infections.
#COVID19 #COVID #onpoli #Ontariohttps://t.co/UozwHlEOeM pic.twitter.com/SAx56ykWvZ

— Dr. Jennifer Kwan (@jkwan_md) May 10, 2020

Government officials have so much confidence in how well our collective efforts to slow the spread of the virus have paid off that they're slowly and carefully beginning to move forward with their phased reopening plan.

Shoppers are now permitted to go back inside hardware stores and garden centres, and retail businesses with physical storefronts are slated to reopen for curbside pickup purposes beginning on Monday.

Still, public health officials continue to ask that residents practise physical distancing, wash their hands frequently, stay at home when ill and otherwise follow all current recommendations and orders from local authorities.

"Together, each of us have put in tremendous effort to stop the spread, and because of these collective efforts we have made tangible progress," said Minister of Health Christine Elliot last week in response to the slowdown in new cases and reopening of some business types.

"More than ever, we need to continue practicing physical distancing while we slowly and carefully reopen Ontario's economy."