The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, one day after its largest daily surge of novel coronavirus cases was reported Friday with 24 new cases.
This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in the area to 289, 133 of which are considered resolved.
The death toll rose by one to 17.
The health unit says 46 of London-Middlesex’s cases and four of its deaths are residents and staff in long term care homes, not including those in retirement homes which are recorded separately.
There are a total of 26 cases in retirement homes and zero deaths, according to the MLHU.
On Friday, the health unit reported 14 new cases at London’s Grand Wood Park Retirement Residence. An outbreak was declared there on March 31 after two residents tested positive.
As of Friday afternoon, 13 local COVID-19 outbreaks had been declared in London and Middlesex since the start of the pandemic, most are at long-term care and retirement homes.
The most recent outbreak was declared at Sisters of St. Joseph on Friday.
Only one outbreak has been marked as resolved — an outbreak declared April 2 at Chelsey Park.
Elsewhere, outbreaks have also been declared at Grand Wood Park, Henley Place, Seasons Strathroy, Kensington Village (second floor), Earls Court Village, Meadow Park Care Centre, Sprucedale Care Centre and Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care (St. Mary’s fifth floor).
Outbreaks also remain active at St Joseph’s Hospice, on the fifth floor of University Hospital in inpatient cardiology, and on the sixth floor of Zone C at Victoria Hospital (C6-100).
The London Health Sciences Centre says there are 14 patients being treated at University Hospital, and five are in intensive care.
Victoria Hospital is treating 13, where four are in intensive care.
Provincially, Ontario has surpassed 10,000 cases of COVID-19.
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The province reported 485 additional cases Saturday, and 36 more deaths.
This brings the total number of cases to 10,010, and the death toll to 514.
Nearly 4,900 cases are considered resolved, or about 49 per cent of all cases.
Nationally, Canada has 32,295 confirmed cases including 486 new ones. The death toll rose to 1,346 after 36 more were reported. The total number of recoveries stands at 10,874 with 319 new recoveries.
Elgin and Oxford
Elgin and Oxford counties are seeing one more case of COVID-19 and two more recoveries, according to Southwestern Public Health (SWPH).
The number of cases rose to 42, and there are now 12 recoveries.
The death total stayed the same at three.
Of the area’s 27 active COVID-19 cases, 17 are in Elgin County, including seven in St. Thomas. Ten are in Oxford County, including two in Woodstock, Ont. and two in Tillsonburg.
One outbreak has been declared in the region at Beattie Manor, a retirement home in St. Thomas, according to SWPH. The outbreak was declared March 27 after a resident at the facility tested positive, and was still active as of SWPH’s most recent outbreak report, dated April 8.
As of Saturday, 1,206 COVID-19 tests had been administered in Elgin and Oxford, with 265 awaiting results.
Huron and Perth
The number of confirmed cases in Huron and Perth remains at 35, with nine recovered cases and three deaths.
Nineteen cases in Huron and Perth have been confirmed in Stratford, which saw 11 new cases and another death at a single long-term care facility. Six residents and five staff have tested positive at Greenwood Court. One, a resident in her 80s who became symptomatic on April 3, died over the weekend, according to Huron Perth Public Health.
Another outbreak was reported in late March at Hillside Manor, a long-term care home in Sebringville, just outside of Stratford, involving a resident.
Eight cases have been reported in Huron County — three in Bluewater, two in South Huron and one each in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, Central Huron and Goderich.
Six cases have been confirmed in Perth County, including two each in Perth East and Perth South, and one each in North Perth and West Perth.
Two cases have been reported in St. Marys — the region’s first two confirmed cases.
Sarnia and Lambton
Lambton health officials reported three new cases and two more recoveries Saturday, bringing the total number of cases to 128 and recoveries to 47.
The death toll sits at 13 after two more deaths were reported Friday. Details about the deceased have not been made public.
To date, 796 tests had been administered in Lambton County. It’s unclear how many are awaiting results.
Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported a second outbreak in the county on Thursday, and Sarnia’s hospital confirmed 11 staff infections.
Bluewater Health spokesperson, Julia Oosterman, said none of the infected staff members work in the COVID unit, intensive care unit, or emergency department, and all became infected over the last nine to 10 days, approximately — four through work, and seven through the community.
The hospital, which employs about 1,230 people, was treating 16 COVID-19 patients as of Saturday, down from 23 on Thursday. The hospital has treated a total of 54 confirmed patients, 13 of whom have died.
–With files from 980 CFPL’s Matthew Trevithick and Ryan Rocca
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