The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported one new case of the novel coronavirus on Saturday along with one new recovery.
This increases the region’s total number of COVID-19 cases to 630, which includes 511 recoveries and 57 deaths.
The newest case was reported in London, Ont., and is not associated with a senior facility.
London makes up 584 of the region’s cases. There are 22 in Strathroy-Caradoc, 10 in Middlesex Centre, six in Thames Centre, five in North Middlesex, and one each in Lucan Biddulph and Southwest Middlesex.
There are currently no active outbreaks in the region.
The latest outbreak to be declared over was at Westmount Gardens on July 2, where at least three staff members of the long-term care home had tested positive.
The outbreak was among 26 that have been declared in the region so far during the pandemic, of which 21 have involved long-term care and retirement homes.
According to the health unit, these facilities have accounted for 180 of the region’s cases — 112 at long-term care homes and 68 at retirement homes — and 37 of its deaths — 24 at long-term care homes and 13 at retirement homes.
The facilities made up a large chunk of cases in April and May, but the majority of new local cases in recent weeks have involved community transmission, according to the health unit.
Hospitalizations remain low, according to London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), which reports the number is below five.
While an exact tally is not known at LHSC, staff cases have not risen by five or more in order to prompt an updated figure to be issued.
The last tally released by LHSC in early June reported at least 42 staff cases during the pandemic.
At St. Joseph’s Health Care London, no COVID-19 patients are being treated at any of the organization’s facilities, and at least 19 staff members have tested positive during the pandemic, a figure that has not changed in two weeks.
According to health unit data, 81 cases in the region have involved a patient being hospitalized, but not in intensive care, while 31 have seen patients needing intensive care. None of the intensive care unit-admitted cases are still active.
Ontario
Ontario reported 121 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the provincial total to 35,656.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said 21 of the cases are a result of targeted testing among temporary workers in the Windsor-Essex area.
Five new deaths were also announced, bringing the number of fatalities to 2,687.
A total of 31,083 cases are considered resolved, which makes up 87.2 per cent of all confirmed cases.
Elgin and Oxford
Officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) did not immediately report an update on Saturday.
As of Friday, the region saw one new death, which was the first death reported since April 22.
The number of confirmed cases in the region remains at 83, of which 44 have resolved and five people have now died.
The death did not involve one of the two cases the health unit has reported as being active over the past week.
According to a health unit spokesperson, the deceased was only confirmed positive with the coronavirus after their death in hospital.
The individual, a 68-year-old Aylmer, Ont.-area woman, had been admitted to hospital in Tillsonburg on Wednesday, SWPH communications manager Megan Cornwall said in an email Friday.
Two cases remain active in the region as of Friday, both in Elgin County. One is located in Dutton/Dunwich, while the other is in Malahide.
A total of three outbreaks have been declared during the pandemic; all have resolved.
As of Thursday, 8,796 tests had been conducted in Elgin and Oxford counties, with 99 people still awaiting test results.
The percentage of tests that come back positive is one per cent. It has stayed at one per cent since June 23.
Huron and Perth
Officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) do not release COVID-19 updates on weekends.
As of Friday, one person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, raising the total number of cases for Huron and Perth to 58, of which 52 people have recovered and five have died.
The case, currently the lone active one in the region, was reported in Perth County, according to the health unit.
Overall, the region has seen 26 cases and four deaths in Stratford, 14 cases in Perth County, 14 in Huron County and four cases and one death in St. Marys.
The four Stratford deaths were linked to an outbreak at Greenwood Court that ended May 11.
As of Friday, a total of 8,563 people had been tested in the region.
Sarnia and Lambton
One new case of COVID-19 was reported in the region late Friday evening by local health officials.
No new recoveries or deaths were reported.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 286, with 257 recoveries and 25 deaths.
After two weeks, an outbreak at Afton Park Place, a long-term care home in Sarnia, has been declared over by health officials on July 2. One staff member at the facility had tested positive.
It was the last remaining active outbreak in the county. A total of nine have been declared since March.
At least 105 cases and 16 deaths have been attributed to the outbreaks.
Bluewater Health hospital reported no COVID-19 patients in its care as of Saturday, and 15 who were suspected positive or had tests pending, three less than the day before.
It’s been nearly three weeks since the hospital treated a confirmed COVID-19 patient.
The last confirmed patient was discharged on June 14. The hospital has since closed its COVID-19 unit.
At least 12,835 test results had been received by the health unit as of late Friday.
The health unit says 2.2 per cent of tests have come back positive.
— With files from Ryan Rocca and Matthew Trevithick