As the Easter long weekend unfolds, Ontario’s London-Middlesex region now has 197 positive cases of COVID-19 after 14 more were confirmed Saturday afternoon.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) also reported another death, raising the number of fatalities to nine.
The health unit says two more patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries in the area to 54.
According to the MLHU, 18 cases involve long-term care homes, one more from Friday.
There are five cases in retirement homes.
Details regarding the new cases were not immediately available.
The most recent COVID-19 case with available details at a long-term care home was confirmed on Thursday. It was at Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care on SM5 (St. Mary’s 5th floor).
Elsewhere locally, outbreaks have affected Kensington Village, Chelsey Park, Seasons Strathroy, Grandwood Park and Henley Place, Sprucedale Care Centre, Earls Court Village, and Meadow Park Care Centre.
The health unit says one confirmed case of COVID-19 at a long-term care or retirement home is considered an outbreak.
As of Saturday, 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 nine patients, one less compared to Friday, but another patient has gone into intensive care, totalling five.
Provincially, Ontario reported 411 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday, and 31 more deaths.
The death total in the province now sits at 253, while the total number of confirmed cases is 6,648.
The number of resolved cases rose to 2,853, or 43 per cent of all confirmed cases.
In Canada, as of Saturday at noon, the number of confirmed cases had climbed up to 22,543 — a jump of 411 since Friday.
The death toll increased to 600 after 31 more fatalities.
Close to 290 patients have recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 6,297.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health reported three new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total to 31, 24 of which remain active.
The number of deaths and resolved cases remained the same, at two deaths and six resolved cases.
The most recent death was reported on April 1.
Both deaths involve 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 has 13 ongoing cases while Oxford County has seven, one more from Friday.
A total of 714 tests were conducted, 175 are pending results.
Huron and Perth
Health officials in Huron and Perth say there are 31 cases of COVID-19 Saturday after three additional cases were confirmed.
There are 17 cases in Stratford, and two in St. Mary’s.
The death toll remains at one, from St. Mary’s.
Of the cases confirmed in Stratford, 11 have been reported at the city’s Greenwood Court long-term care home, where six residents and five staff have tested positive.
A resident at the Hillside Manor in Sebringville has also tested positive.
Sarnia and Lambton
Health officials with Lambton Public Health are reporting another death in the area, bringing the total to 10.
Two more cases of COVID-19 was confirmed, which brings the total number of confirmed cases to 107.
There have been 13 recoveries.
Currently, 613 tests had been conducted in the county, with 81 awaiting results.
Health officials say 78 per cent of positive cases are in urban areas, and 22 per cent are in rural areas.
Sarnia’s Bluewater Health reported Saturday 27 confirmed COVID-19 patients were being treated in the hospital, while 13 were suspected positive or awaiting test results.
–With files from Global News’ Ryan Rocca