London-Middlesex is seeing two new cases of the novel coronavirus, officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported Saturday.
There are now 644 cases of COVID-19 in the region.
The number of recoveries remains unchanged at 572. The death count has stayed at 57 for at least five weeks.
One of the new cases involves staff at a long-term care home.
Both new cases were reported in London Ont., where there are 595 cases of COVID-19.
Elsewhere, 23 cases have been reported in Strathroy-Caradoc, 12 in Middlesex Centre, six each in North Middlesex and Thames Centre, and one case each in Lucan Biddulph and Southwest Middlesex.
The region’s seven-day average for new cases stands at 1.28 per day as of Friday.
London-Middlesex has officially entered Stage 3 of the province’s COVID-19 reopening plan, which is allowing more businesses and facilities to resume operations, including indoor restaurants, theatres and casinos.
The City of London has also announced the reopening of playgrounds. Children and parents are advised to maintain physical distancing while using playground equipment.
The health unit announced Friday that the region’s medical officer of health, Dr. Chris Mackie, had issued an instruction under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to require that operators of enclosed public spaces put measures in place mandating the use masks by the public at all times while on their premises.
The instruction came into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
In addition, Mackie said he’s recommending that Middlesex municipalities put in place their own temporary bylaws requiring people to wear masks or face coverings within enclosed publicly-accessible spaces.
Such a bylaw will go before city councillors for a vote next week.
According to health unit data, the largest age group to see positive cases is people in their 20s. At least 135 cases, 21 per cent of all cases in the region, involve people in this demographic.
At least 107 cases, or 17 per cent, involve people in their 80s. Around 84 per cent of cases involving people in their 80s are outbreak-related.
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At least 26 outbreaks have been seen in the region, including 21 at long-term care and retirement homes. All outbreaks have resolved.
At least 181 cases and 37 deaths have been attributed to seniors’ facilities.
London Health Sciences Centre says the number of hospitalized patients in its care is fewer than five, while St. Joseph’s Health Care London says no COVID-19 patients are being treated at its facilities.
Ontario
Ontario reported 166 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, bringing the provincial total to 37,440.
It’s the highest single-day increase since July 9 when 170 cases were reported.
Two new deaths were also announced, bringing the death toll to 2,748.
A total of 33,294 cases are considered resolved, which makes up 88.9 per cent of all confirmed cases.
Nearly 29,000 additional tests have been processed, bringing the total number of tests completed in the province to 1,839,332.
Elgin and Oxford
Officials with Southwestern Public Health reported one new case of COVID-19 on Saturday.
The total number of cases in the region has increased to 88, of which 80 have recovered and five have died.
The newest case was reported in Woodstock, where there are now 18 cases. St. Thomas also has 18 cases.
Three cases remain active — two in Woodstock and one in Bayham.
SWPH says 13,323 tests had been administered as of Saturday, with 237 pending results.
The region’s test positivity rate remains at 0.7 per cent.
No outbreaks are active in the region. Three have been declared, with all being resolved.
Huron and Perth
Officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) do not issue COVID-19 updates on the weekends.
As of Friday, the region’s total case count remained at 59, of which 52 have recovered and five have died, a tally that has not changed since late April.
One case remained active in Perth County.
Stratford has seen the highest number of cases with 26, followed by Perth County with 15, Huron County with 14, and St. Marys with four.
Four deaths have been reported in Stratford, all linked to a since-resolved outbreak at Greenwood Court, while one death has been reported in St. Marys.
People in their 60s make up the largest age group of cases with 16, followed by people in their 50s with 12 cases, and people in their 30s with nine.
No hospitalizations have been reported since April, and nine outbreaks have been declared, linked to 23 cases and four deaths. All have since resolved.
At least 10,663 people had been tested as of Friday.
Sarnia and Lambton
Zero new cases, recoveries or deaths were reported by officials with Lambton Public Health (LPH) late Friday evening.
This keeps the region’s total COVID-19 case count at 288 with 260 recoveries and 25 deaths.
Three cases are active in the region, according to the health unit.
The region is among the few in Ontario who are not moving ahead to Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plans Friday.
Premier Doug Ford has not offered a timeline yet on when the region, and others who are stuck behind in Stage 2, will be able to move ahead, but says he will provide weekly updates.
No COVID-19 patients are in the care of Bluewater Health hospital as of Saturday, according to the organization. Fifteen patients were awaiting COVID-19 test results, four more than the day before.
The hospital hasn’t seen a confirmed patient in its care since June 14.
According to the health unit, 14,816 test results have been received, with 1.9 per cent of tests coming back positive.
— With files from Global News’ Matthew Trevithick and Ryan Rocca
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