Two people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in London and Middlesex and two people have recovered, local health officials reported on Wednesday.
It brings the region’s total case count to 649, of which 580 have recovered and 57 have died, leaving 12 known active cases. The region’s death toll has remained unchanged since June 12.
One case involves a long-term care home staff member in her 30s while the other involves a man in his 70s. Both are from London, Ont.
Despite one of the cases being associated with a seniors’ facility, no outbreaks have been declared in the region.
The health unit reported one new case and two recoveries on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday, at least 600 cases have been confirmed in London, while 23 have been located in Strathroy-Caradoc and 12 in Middlesex Centre.
Elsewhere, six cases each have been reported in North Middlesex and Thames Centre, while one case each has been reported in Lucan Biddulph and Southwest Middlesex.
The region’s seven-day average for new cases stands at 1.2 per day as of Wednesday. Looking back 14 days to July 8, the average is 1.28.
The region’s test positivity rate stood at 0.1 per cent as of the week of July 12, the same as the 2 weeks prior, according to the health unit’s most recent available data.
The cumulative incident rate for London and Middlesex is around 127 cases per 100,000 people, according to the health unit. Ontario’s rate is 255 cases per 100,000.
The city’s two assessment centres continue to see steady visitation, each averaging around 280 people per day over the last 10 days.
London city council has put into effect a temporary bylaw mandating masks in public establishments.
Councillors voted on the draft bylaw on Tuesday night. It passed 12-1, with Coun. Michael van Holst the lone opponent, as was the case during Monday’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee meeting.
The mandatory mask bylaw excludes children under 12 years of age, as well as people with medical conditions or disabilities which inhibit their ability to wear a face-covering. Those unable to apply or remove a face covering on their own are also exempt from the new rule.
The bylaw is in addition to a Section 22 order issued under the Health Protection and Promotion Act by the region’s medical officer of health, Dr. Chris Mackie, which mandates masks on buses, in vehicles for hire and in certain high-risk businesses.
A separate instruction has also been issued by Mackie through the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act mandating masks in all indoor enclosed public spaces in the city and county.
Health unit figures show that while people in their 20s are the largest case group by age, they have not accounted for any of the 14 cases reported since July 10.
At least 135 cases, or 20 per cent, involve people in their 20s. At least 107 cases, or 16.5 per cent, involve people in their 80s.
Some 40 per cent of cases involving 20-somethings have been linked to contact with a confirmed case, while a vast majority, nearly 85 per cent, of cases involving people in their 80s are linked to outbreaks.
People in their 50s make up 100 cases, or 15 per cent, with 34 per cent linked to outbreaks, and 39 per cent having no known link.
At least 26 outbreaks have been reported in the region with 21 linked to long-term care and retirement homes.
The facilities account for at least 182 of the region’s cases and 35 of its deaths.
Hospitalizations remain low in the region, with few, if any, being treated currently for COVID-19.
St. Joseph’s Health Care reported no such patients in its care, while London Health Sciences Centre has not issued a tally since June 10, saying it will do so only if COVID-19 patient cases rise above five.
At least 113 people have had to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the region, including 31 who needed intensive care. Nearly all, around 90 per cent, have involved people above 50.
Ontario
Provincially, Ontario reported 165 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and two deaths.
The total number of cases now stands at 38,107, which includes 2,755 deaths and 33,812 resolved cases.
There were 207 resolved cases newly reported.
The province says it was able to complete nearly 23,000 tests the previous day.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says just over half of the new cases came from people under the age of 40, similar to new case numbers released on Tuesday.
She says 28 of the province’s 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases.
Elgin and Oxford
One person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and one person has recovered, officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported Wednesday.
It brings the region’s total case count to 94, of which 81 have recovered and five have died.
The new case was reported in Malahide while the recovery was reported in Woodstock, health unit figures show.
The case is the seventh new case of coronavirus reported by SWPH in the last five days.
Health officials reported two new cases on Tuesday, both in St. Thomas, and reported four new cases over the weekend, three on Sunday and one on Saturday.
One patient was in hospital as of Monday, according to health unit data. The patient had been in intensive care over the weekend. It’s the first hospitalization to be reported since late April.
People in their 50s make up the largest age group of cases with 25, or 26.6 per cent, followed by people in their 60s with 14 cases, or 14.9 per cent, and people in their 30s with 13 cases, or 13.8 per cent.
On Monday, the health unit issued an alert to the public, urging residents to continue behaving as though everyone is infectious, noting the recent rise in new cases.
St. Thomas has seen the largest number of cases with 23, followed by Woodstock with 17, Dutton/Dunwich with nine, and East Zorra-Tavistock and Tillsonburg with seven each.
With its smaller population, the nine cases in Dutton/Dunwich is the equivalent of 232.8 cases per 100,000 people. In St. Thomas, the rate is 59.1 per 100,000.
Three outbreaks have been declared. All have since resolved with no associated deaths.
At least 14,046 tests had been administered as of Tuesday, with 277 pending results. The region’s test positivity rate remains at 0.7 per cent.
Huron and Perth
No new cases, deaths, or recoveries were reported Wednesday by officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPG).
The region’s total case count remains at 61, of which 54 have recovered and five people have died. The death toll has remained unchanged since late April.
Two cases remain active in the region, one in Perth County and one in Huron County.
Health officials reported one recovery on Tuesday and two cases on Monday.
Twenty-six cases and four deaths have been reported in Stratford during the pandemic. The four deaths are linked to an outbreak that was declared early in the pandemic at Greenwood Court.
Elsewhere, 16 cases have been reported in Perth County and 15 in Huron County, while St. Marys has reported four cases and one death.
People in their 60s make up the largest age group with 16 cases, followed by people in their 50s with 12 cases and people in their 30s with nine.
No hospitalizations have been reported since April, according to the health unit.
At least 11,000 people had been tested as of Tuesday.
Sarnia and Lambton
One person has recovered from the novel coronavirus, officials with Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported late Tuesday.
The region’s total case count remains unchanged at 292, of which 261 have recovered and 25 have died. No deaths have been reported since early June.
Six cases remain in the region, all in Sarnia, health unit data shows.
Health officials reported two new cases late Monday and two cases over the weekend.
No patients have been hospitalized for COVID-19 at Bluewater Health, the hospital reported Wednesday. It hasn’t seen a COVID-19 patient since June 14.
Fifty-eight people in total have been hospitalized during the pandemic for the virus, most recently in early June.
Health unit figures show people over the age of 80 make up the largest number of cases by age, with 74 — about a quarter of cases. About half are linked to outbreaks.
Outbreaks also account for 20 per cent of all cases involving people in their 20s.
At least 32 per cent of all cases involving health-care workers involve people in their 20s.
At least 15,524 test results had been received by the health unit as of late Monday, with 1.9 per cent coming back positive.
— With files from The Canadian Press