One person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in London and Middlesex and one person has recovered, local health officials reported Wednesday.
The update brings the region’s total case count to 680, of which 592 people have recovered. The death toll has remained unchanged since June 12 at 57.
There are at least 31 known active cases in the region.
Wednesday’s new case was reported in London and involves a person in their 20s who acquired the virus through travel, health unit data shows.
The individual is not listed as being a health-care worker or being associated with a seniors’ facility.
Health officials reported no new cases on Tuesday, five over the long weekend and five on Friday.
At least 628 cases have been reported in London, while 26 have been reported in Strathroy-Caradoc and 12 in Middlesex Centre.
Elsewhere, six cases each have been reported in North Middlesex and Thames Centre, and one in each of Lucan Biddulph and Southwest Middlesex.
The region’s seven-day average for new cases stands at 1.85 as of Wednesday. Looking back 14 days to July 22, the average is 2.28.
The region’s test positivity rate stood at 0.3 per cent as of the week of July 19, the most recent data available. That figure is up from the 0.1 per cent recorded the week prior.
London and Middlesex has seen 133.8 cases per 100,000 people as of Wednesday, while Ontario has seen 265.4 cases per 100,000.
An outbreak at Victoria Hospital remains active as of Wednesday, nearly two weeks after it was declared.
The outbreak was declared July 24 in the hospital’s child and adolescent mental health unit (B8-200) after a staff member tested positive.
A total of 27 outbreaks have been declared in the region during the pandemic.
Of those, 21 have been at long-term care and retirement homes, which have seen 185 cases and 35 deaths.
While the facilities were linked to a large chunk of the cases reported in April and May, they have made up fewer cases since.
Seniors’ homes accounted for eight of at least 50 cases reported in the region since the start of July.
People in their 20s remain the largest age group of cases with 143, or about 21 per cent of cases.
People 80 and above make up 107 cases, or about 15.7 per cent — a vast majority linked to outbreaks.
Women make up nearly 60 per cent of all cases in London and Middlesex, despite accounting for just over 51 per cent of the region’s population.
The discrepancy is due in part to cases involving health-care workers. Of the 155 cases associated with health-care workers, 131, or about 84.5 per cent, involve women.
The number of COVID-19 inpatients at London Health Sciences Centre remains stable at five or fewer, while St. Joseph’s Health Care reported no COVID-19 patients.
At least 114 people have had to be hospitalized for the virus during the pandemic, health unit figures show. Of those, 32 have, at some point, had to be admitted to intensive care.
Ontario
Provincially, Ontario reported 86 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
It’s the third consecutive day, and fifth time in the last week, that Ontario is reporting fewer than 100 cases of the novel coronavirus.
There were 146 newly resolved cases and no new deaths.
That brings the province’s total up to 35,747 resolved out of 39,714 total cases.
The death toll stands at 2,782.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 29 of the province’s 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer new cases, while 22 are reporting no new cases at all.
Elgin and Oxford
Two people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and two have recovered, officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported Wednesday.
The update brings the region’s total case count to 180, of which 96 people have recovered. Five have died, most recently in early July.
The case increase is the smallest recorded by the health unit since July 21.
There are 79 known active cases in the region.
The region has seen a surge in cases over the last four weeks, rising from a total of 89 cases on July 8 to 180 as of Wednesday.
Health officials reported 12 new cases on Tuesday and 23 new cases over the long weekend — 15 on Saturday, six on Sunday and eight on Monday. Five recoveries were also reported.
Saturday’s spike is the largest single-day increase so far.
According to the health unit, a majority of the region’s current active cases, 42, are located in Aylmer, which now stands as the hardest-hit area in SWPH’s jurisdiction.
Aylmer has a reported case rate of 627.3 per 100,000 people. The second hardest-hit region, Bayham, has a case rate of 297.5, while St. Thomas is 69.4 and Woodstock 41.6.
Elsewhere, 18 active cases are located in Bayham, nine are in Tillsonburg, six are in Norwich, and three are in St. Thomas. The location of one case was not available.
The cause of the region’s jump in cases isn’t entirely clear. The health unit has only said the cases have come from a variety of sources, such as large gatherings and workplaces.
It has refrained from commenting on whether any cases are linked to members of the region’s Low German-speaking communities, which have seen higher case numbers in neighbouring jurisdictions.
Two people were in critical care in the region as of Monday, one in Tillsonburg and one in Woodstock, health unit figures show.
SWPH has received 17,577 tests to date, with 412 pending results. At least one per cent of tests are coming back positive.
Huron and Perth
One person has recovered from the novel coronavirus, officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) reported Wednesday.
The region’s total case count remains unchanged at 74, of which now 65 people have recovered. Five people have also died, a tally that has not changed since late April.
Health officials reported two new cases on Tuesday and four on Monday.
There are at least four known active cases in the region, all in Perth County.
The health unit says at least five of the cases that have been reported recently in the region are linked to Perth East and the area’s Low German-speaking communities. Such communities have seen case increases in neighbouring jurisdictions.
There are no active outbreaks in the region. An outbreak at Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East was declared over late last week. One staff member had tested positive.
Eight outbreaks have been declared overall.
At least 27 cases have been reported in Perth County, while 26 cases, including four deaths, have been reported in Stratford. The deaths were linked to an outbreak at Greenwood Court.
Elsewhere, 16 cases have been reported in Huron County, while five cases, including one death, have been reported in St. Marys.
At least 11,871 people had been tested as of Wednesday, according to the health unit.
Sarnia and Lambton
No new cases, deaths or recoveries were reported late Tuesday by officials with Lambton Public Health (LPH).
The region’s total case count remains at 319, of which 270 people have recovered.
Twenty-five people have died. The death toll has not changed since early June.
There remain at least 24 known active cases in the region. At least 16 are listed as being in rural areas, including 12 in Alvinston, while at least eight are located in Sarnia, health unit data shows.
The number of hospitalizations remains unchanged. Bluewater Health in Sarnia reported no COVID-19 patients in its care as of Wednesday, unchanged since June 14. There were 16 patients at the hospital who were awaiting test results.
The hospital says it’s tested nearly 2,800 people during the pandemic.
At least 58 people have been hospitalized during the pandemic. The health unit says the last recorded hospitalization was at the end of May.
No outbreaks are currently active in the county. A total of nine have been reported, linked to 105 cases and 16 deaths. The last active outbreak was resolved on July 2.
At least 18,061 test results had been received as of late Tuesday. The region’s test positivity remains at 1.8 per cent.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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