One person has died, two others have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and three more people have recovered, the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported Friday.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases in London and Middlesex to 438, of which 287 have now recovered — about 65 per cent — and 43 have died.
According to the health unit, the death involved a man in his 40s. No further information has been released.
Health unit figures show the two new cases were both reported in London and both involve retirement homes. One involves a resident and the other a staff member.
The update caps off a week that saw five new local cases and 10 recoveries on Thursday; seven new cases and two recoveries on Wednesday; two deaths, one new case and eight recoveries on Tuesday; and seven new cases and eight recoveries on Monday.
So far, the city has seen 405 of the region’s reported cases, while Strathroy-Caradoc has seen 17 and Middlesex Centre has seen seven.
Elsewhere, North Middlesex and Thames Centre have seen four cases each, while Southwest Middlesex has seen one.
It’s not clear how many cases remain active in each jurisdiction.
With the two new cases, seniors’ homes now account for at least 134 of the region’s confirmed cases, or nearly 30 per cent. They also account for at least 23 of the deaths, or about 55 per cent.
According to the health unit, 86 cases have been reported in long-term care homes involving 53 residents and 33 staff, in addition to 17 deaths. At retirement homes, 50 cases have been reported involving 35 residents and 15 staff, along with six deaths.
The total number of confirmed outbreaks remains unchanged at 18, of which 10 remain active, all but one of them at long-term care and retirement homes.
Seniors’ facilities have seen a total of 12 outbreaks since the beginning of the pandemic. They’re among at least 317 that have been declared across the province at long-term care and retirement homes, according to Public Health Ontario.
Outbreaks remain active at peopleCare Oakcrossing, Grand Wood Park, Horizon Place, Kensington Village Retirement, Kensington Village Long-Term Care Residence, Elmwood Place, Meadow Park Care Centre, Earls Court Village, Henley Place and Sisters of St. Joseph.
The latest outbreak to be declared over was on Wednesday at Victoria Hospital in its geriatric behavioural unit (C6-100), an outbreak that had been active since April 11.
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has experienced three COVID-19 outbreaks and has seen at least 39 of its staff infected as of Friday, a number that has remained unchanged since May 2.
As of midnight Friday, University and Victoria hospitals were treating a total of 24 COVID-19 patients, two fewer than Thursday, including seven in intensive care, one fewer.
Provincially, Ontario reported 477 new COVID-19 cases and 63 more deaths on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to 19,598, including 1,540 deaths and 13,990 resolved cases.
The total represents an increase of 2.5 per cent over the previous day.
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 and the number of people in intensive care dropped, but the number of people on ventilators rose.
The province has completed 397,149 tests so far for the virus. This is up 16,295 from the previous day. Ontario set a target last month of 16,000 tests by May 6. Thursday’s report was just shy of that number but Friday’s report hit the target.
Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford’s office says he briefly visited his cottage on Easter Sunday — days after urging Ontarians to stay home.
A spokeswoman says the premier drove alone to his cottage to check on the plumbing due to ongoing renovations.
The trip came days after he said at a press conference that he wouldn’t be travelling to his cottage that weekend.
Elgin and Oxford
No new cases or deaths have been reported in Elgin or Oxford counties and two people have recovered, Southwestern Public Health reported Friday.
The update keeps the total number of confirmed cases at 62, of which 45 have recovered — about 72 per cent of cases. The number of deaths remains at four.
On Thursday the health unit reported two new cases in the region. Neither was connected to seniors’ facilities, meaning the total number of outbreaks remained unchanged at two, of which neither is active.
Thirteen cases remain active, SWPH says. Nine are in Oxford County, including three in Tillsonburg and two in Woodstock, while four are in Elgin County, including two each in Malahide and St. Thomas.
As of Friday, 2,964 people have been tested in the region, according to SWPH, with 275 still awaiting tests. Health unit figures peg the test positive percentage at 2.3 per cent.
Huron and Perth
For at least the fifth day in a row, health officials in Huron and Perth counties say no new cases, deaths or recoveries have been reported.
The total number of confirmed cases is unchanged at 49, of which 34 have recovered — about 69 per cent of cases — and five people have died, according to Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH).
Four of the deaths are linked to an ongoing outbreak at Greenwood Court in Stratford, where a total of six residents and 10 staff have tested positive. It’s not clear how many cases remain active.
Outbreaks also remain active at Blue Water Rest Home in Bluewater, Huronview in Huron East and Braemar Retirement Centre in North Huron.
Twenty-five of the region’s cases have been reported in Stratford, where officials say 20 people have recovered and four have died.
In Huron County, 12 cases have been reported, of which nine have recovered, while in Perth County, 10 cases have been reported, of which five have recovered.
Two cases have been reported in St. Marys, of which person one died and one recovered.
As of Friday, 1,881 tests had been administered in Huron and Perth, an increase of 70 from the day before. Of those, 152 tests are pending results, an increase of 28 from Thursday.
Sarnia and Lambton
No new cases or deaths have been reported in Lambton County and one person has recovered, health officials there reported late Thursday.
The update keeps the total number of confirmed cases at 193 and brings the number of recoveries to 127 — about 66 per cent of cases. The number of deaths stands at 16.
On Thursday, Lambton Public Health reported one new case, four recoveries and a resolved outbreak at a Sarnia retirement home.
The outbreak at Landmark Village had been active since late March and saw 30 residents test positive, including six who later died. Ten staff were also infected.
A day earlier, an outbreak at Sumac Lodge, a long-term care home also in Sarnia, was declared over.
The county’s lone active outbreak, at Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia, has seen four residents test positive, including two who died earlier this week. Two staff are also confirmed positive.
According to the health unit, long-term care and retirement home residents and health-care workers account for at least 18 per cent and 15 per cent of cases, respectively.
In addition to the seniors’ home staff who have tested positive, at least 15 staff have also tested positive at Sarnia’s Bluewater Health hospital.
Hospital spokesperson Julia Oosterman told 980 CFPL on Friday that two staff members have since recovered, while the remaining are still considered active cases.
The news comes after the hospital received the results of recent double-negative swab tests. More results are expected soon.
None of the 15 staff who have tested positive have had to be hospitalized, and all have been in self-isolation at home, Oosterman said.
According to the hospital, it was treating seven COVID-19 patients as of Friday morning, the same as Thursday, with an additional 11 who are suspected positive or are awaiting tests, three fewer than the day before.
As of late Thursday, the health unit says it’s received results for 3,560 COVID-19 tests, noting the county’s positive percentage stands at five per cent. It’s not clear how many tests in total have been administered, and how many tests are still pending results.
— With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues and The Canadian Press
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