One more person has died and nine others have tested positive for the coronavirus, health officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit reported Wednesday.
The death and three of the new cases are linked to local seniors’ facilities, the health unit said.
It brings the total number of cases in the region to 343 and the number of deaths to 23. The health unit also reported six more people had recovered, bringing that total to 155.
According to the MLHU, the deceased was a resident of a long-term care home (LTCH). No other information has been released.
Of the three cases linked to seniors’ facilities, one was a resident of a retirement home and two were staff members, one at an LTCH and the other at a retirement home.
Fourteen outbreaks have been declared at local health-care institutions since the start of the pandemic, 10 of them at long-term care and retirement homes.
They’re among at least 125 outbreaks that have been reported at long-term care facilities across the province, where at least 1,587 residents and 748 staff members have tested positive and where 295 residents and one staff member have died.
Three outbreaks have since been declared resolved, the most recent on Tuesday by London Health Sciences Centre, which declared an outbreak on the fifth floor of University Hospital on April 4, and by Sprucedale Care Centre, which declared an outbreak on April 6.
An outbreak announced April 2 at Chelsey Park was declared over April 14.
An active outbreak remains at Victoria Hospital in the geriatric behavioural unit, according to LHSC.
University and Victoria hospitals were treating a combined 31 COVID-19 patients Wednesday — four more than Tuesday — with 11 in intensive care — one fewer than Tuesday.
Active outbreaks remain at Grand Wood Park, Sisters of St. Joseph (Home), St. Joseph’s Hospice, Horizon Place, Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care (St. Mary’s 5th Floor), Meadow Park Care Centre, Earls Court Village, Kensington Village, Seasons Strathroy and Henley Place.
The province has issued new testing guidance to public health units, telling them to test all residents and staff in homes experiencing an outbreak. Previous guidance said to test only contacts of people confirmed positive within the facilities.
Provincially, Ontario reported 510 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 37 more deaths.
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That brings the total number of cases in the province to 12,245 — a 4.3 per cent increase over Tuesday, which is the lowest growth rate in weeks.
The total also includes 659 deaths and 6,221 cases that have been resolved, which puts the percentage of resolved cases over 50 per cent for the first time.
While health officials have said community spread appears to be peaking, cases in long-term care continue to rise.
Nationally, around 39,000 cases had been confirmed across the country as of early Wednesday afternoon, including more than 13,500 recoveries and more than 1,800 deaths.
Elgin and Oxford
One more person has died and four people have tested positive for COVID-19, officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported Wednesday.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases in Elgin and Oxford counties to 51 and the number of deaths to four. Health officials also reported one more person had recovered, bringing that total to 16.
Health officials also reported a second COVID-19 outbreak in the region at Caressant Care on Bonnie Place, a long-term care facility in St. Thomas, where a health-care worker has tested positive.
The region’s other outbreak, at Beattie Manor, was still active as of Wednesday. The outbreak was declared on March 27 after a resident tested positive.
Of the 31 active cases reported by the SWPH as of Wednesday, 15 are located in Elgin County, including seven in St. Thomas, and 14 are located in Oxford County. Details about two cases were not available.
Seventeen cases were reported in Elgin on Tuesday and 11 were reported in Oxford.
As of Wednesday, 1,457 COVID-19 tests had been administered in Elgin and Oxford counties, 91 more than Tuesday, with 338 awaiting test results.
Huron and Perth
One more person has tested positive while 10 people have recovered from the virus, health officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) reported Wednesday.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases to 39 and the number of recovered cases to 21.
The number of deaths remained unchanged at four.
Details about the new case were not immediately available, other than that it was reported in South Huron.
The update comes a day after health officials reported one case involving a staff member at Greenwood Court long-term care home in Stratford, where 13 of that city’s 22 confirmed cases have been linked.
Six residents and seven staff have tested positive at the facility and three people have died as a result of the outbreak there. It’s not clear how many cases remain active.
The region’s other outbreak, at Hillside Manor in Sebringville, was declared over on April 14th.
According to HPPH, nine cases have been reported in Huron County since the start of the pandemic — three in South Huron, two in Bluewater, and one each in Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh, Central Huron, Goderich and Huron East.
In Perth County, six cases have been confirmed, 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, one of whom later died.
As of Wednesday, 1,122 COVID-19 tests had been administered in Huron and Perth, 65 more than Tuesday, with 236 awaiting testing.
Sarnia and Lambton
Five more people have tested positive and 12 more people have recovered, Lambton Public Health reported Wednesday.
The update brings the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 15 and the number of recovered cases to 62. Details about the cases were not available.
The number of deaths remained unchanged at 14.
Of the county’s confirmed cases, 34 are linked to an ongoing outbreak at Landmark Village, a retirement home in Sarnia, where 26 residents and eight staff members have tested positive and six deaths have been reported.
Another outbreak at Meadowview Villa, a county-run long-term care home in Petrolia, also remains active. The outbreak was declared after a staff member was confirmed positive last week.
In Sarnia, the city’s hospital reported Wednesday that it was treating 13 confirmed COVID-19 patients, two fewer than Tuesday.
Eleven staff members at the hospital have tested positive for the virus after four contracted it through work and seven through the community. None were hospitalized as of Monday.
As of Wednesday, 1,149 COVID-19 tests had been administered in Lambton County, 165 more than Tuesday.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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.
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