London-Middlesex sees 13 new coronavirus cases on Good Friday, total now 183

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 13 more positive cases of the novel coronavirus at noon on Friday.

The death toll remains at eight, and four more patients have recovered.

This brings the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 183 in London Middlesex and the number of recoveries to 52.

According to the MLHU, 17 cases involve long-term care homes. There are five cases in retirement homes.

Details regarding the new cases were not immediately available.

The most recent COVID-19 case at a long-term care and retirement home in the area is at Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care on SM5 (St. Mary’s 5th floor), confirmed Thursday.

Around 70 outbreaks have been declared across the province at long-term care and retirement homes.

Elsewhere locally, outbreaks have affected Sprucedale Care Centre, Earls Court Village, Meadow Park Care Centre, Kensington Village, Chelsey Park, Seasons Strathroy, Grandwood Park and Henley Place.

The health unit says one confirmed case of COVID-19 at a long-term care or retirement home is considered an outbreak.

As of Friday, the London Health Sciences Centre says there are 14 patients being treated for COVID-19 at University Hospital. Five are in intensive care.

Victoria Hospital is treating 10 patients, with four in intensive care.

Provincially, Ontario reported 478 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, and 22 more deaths.

The death total in the province now sits at 222, while the total number of confirmed cases is 6,237.

The number of resolved cases rose to 2,574, which makes up about 41 per cent of confirmed cases.

Nationally, as of Friday at noon, the number of confirmed cases had climbed up to 21,226 — a jump of 478 since Thursday.

The death toll increased to 531 after 22 more fatalities.

Close to 270 patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 5,580.

Elgin and Oxford

Southwestern Public Health reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the total to 29, 21 of which remain active.

Six cases have been marked as resolved in the health unit’s jurisdiction, which includes Elgin and Oxford counties, while two people have died.

The most recent death was reported on April 1.

Both deaths involved patients from Elgin — a woman in her 70s who became infected through travel and a woman in her 80s who became infected through close contact.

Elgin St. Thomas is seeing 13 ongoing cases while Oxford County has six.

Huron and Perth

Huron Perth Public Health did not provide an update on Friday.

As of Thursday afternoon, 28 confirmed cases had been reported in Huron and Perth counties after health officials confirmed four additional cases.

Three of the new cases were reported in Stratford, while one was reported in Perth County.

Other details about the cases were not immediately available.

Of the now 14 cases confirmed in Stratford, eight have been reported at the city’s Greenwood Court long-term care home, where six residents and two staff have tested positive.

Sarnia and Lambton

Health officials with Lambton Public Health are reporting four new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county, which brings the total number of confirmed cases to 105.

There are nine deaths reported and 11 recoveries.

More than 20 of the county’s cases and four of its deaths are linked to the Landmark Village retirement home in Sarnia, Ont., where an outbreak has been declared.

Currently, 598 tests had been conducted in the county, with 78 awaiting results.

Sarnia’s Bluewater Health reported Friday 28 confirmed COVID-19 patients were being treated in the hospital, while 16 were suspected positive or awaiting test results.

-With files from Global News’ Ryan Rocca and Matthew Trevithick