After a record number of new coronavirus cases two days in a row, things are starting to slow down on Monday as the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported two new cases.
The MLHU reported a record number of cases for the region over the weekend, with a combined 42 cases announced on Saturday and Sunday.
With the latest report, the number of people who have tested positive for the virus is now at 136 in the region.
Details about the two new cases, including the age, gender, source of transmission and current status of each patient, were not immediately available.
Health officials attribute the sudden rise in cases to clearing a backlog of tests and an increase in the number of tests that have come back positive.
The number of people being treated at London Health Sciences Centre facilities has gone up to 26, with 18 patients at University Hospital and the rest at Victoria Hospital. The number of patients listed as being in intensive care has gone down to nine: five at University Hospital and four at Victoria Hospital.
Three more cases have since been resolved for a total of 18, with the death toll remaining at five.
Provincially, 309 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Monday, which is 100 fewer than the day before, for a grand total of 4,347.
The death toll has risen to 132, with 13 new deaths related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The province has cleared more of the backlog of tests, with only 329 cases still under investigation and 1,624 now resolved.
There are 689 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario — 216 of them in intensive care and 160 on a ventilator.
Elgin and Oxford
The number of confirmed cases in Elgin and Oxford counties rose to 21 on Saturday after health officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported one new case.
The patient is a man in his 90s from Elgin who is currently in hospital.
Two of the 21 patients in the region have since died, with five people in hospital and three cases resolved. The rest of the patients remain in self-isolation.
According to SWPH, 269 people have tested negative for the virus, with 137 test results still pending.
Huron and Perth
The number of cases in Huron and Perth was still at 17 as of Friday.
On Wednesday of last week, officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) confirmed one new case following the six new cases reported last Tuesday.
Two of the cases reported last Tuesday included a long-term care home in Stratford, Ont., marking the second and third times COVID-19 has been confirmed at a long-term care home in Huron and Perth. The first, confirmed last Monday, involves a case at Hillside Manor near Sebringville, Ont.
The two Stratford cases involve residents of Greenwood Court. Officials said they were symptomatic but not hospitalized and are now in isolation.
Of the 17 confirmed cases, HPPH says three have been in St. Marys, two are confirmed in Perth County, six have been in Stratford and six have been in Huron County. One case in Huron has been resolved.
Huron and Perth’s only reported death involved the area’s first confirmed patient, health officials say.
The 64-year-old St. Marys man has been identified as Craig MacDonald, owner of the St. Marys Foodland, according to a report by CTV London. MacDonald tested positive for COVID-19 on March 14 after travelling to Mexico and died in hospital in Stratford on Sunday, according to his obituary.
Sarnia Lambton
On Monday, Lambton Public Health reported one new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 80. Lambton Public Health also reported one death.
Details on the person who died are not immediately available.
On Sunday, health officials reported 11 people in the region had tested positive for the virus.
According to the health unit, the number of people in hospital has risen to 32, while 36 are self-isolating and four have now recovered.
The total number of deaths has gone up by one for a total of eight, with the health unit linking four of the deaths to an outbreak at Landmark Village retirement home.
The recent outbreak at Landmark Village includes 15 confirmed cases involving six staff and nine residents.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
— With files from Global News’ Matthew Trevithick
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