Six people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in London and Middlesex, while one person has recovered, local health officials said Wednesday.
The update brings the region’s total case count to 717, of which 626 people have recovered. Fifty-seven people have died, most recently on June 12.
There are at least 34 active cases in the region, according to the health unit.
Five of the cases were reported in London, with one located in Thames Centre, according to health unit figures.
Four of the London cases involve people aged 19 or under, while one is listed as being in their 30s. All are listed as having acquired the virus through close contact with a confirmed case.
The Thames Centre case involves a person in their 20s whose acquisition source is listed as being “no known link.” They are also flagged as being a staff member at a long-term care home in the region. The case has not prompted an outbreak declaration.
Health officials reported two new cases on Tuesday, two on Monday and 12 on Saturday. Seven of the cases also involved people aged 19 or under who acquired the virus through close contact with a confirmed case.
It’s not clear whether the spate of cases involving young persons are connected.
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The region’s seven-day average for new cases stands at 3.71 as of Wednesday. Looking back 14 days to Aug. 5, the average is 2.64.
As of this week, the region’s cases per 100,000 rate stands at 140.1, while Ontario’s is 274.1.
The region’s test positivity rate stood at 0.5 per cent as of the week of Aug. 9, the most recent figures available. Ontario’s was 0.4 per cent. The health unit tested 4,643 people that week.
London has reported a vast majority of the region’s cases — at least 664.
Elsewhere, 26 cases have been reported in Strathroy-Caradoc, 12 in Middlesex Centre, seven in Thames Centre, six in North Middlesex and one each in Lucan Biddulph and Southwest Middlesex.
All but one of the region’s active cases are in London, health unit data shows.
Outbreaks remain unchanged from the day before with a total of at least 27 declared in London and Middlesex since the start of the pandemic. None are currently active.
At least 21 of those outbreaks have been at long-term care and retirement homes, linked to 188 cases and 35 deaths. Of those, 106 cases have involved residents and 82 have involved staff.
Only four cases this month have been linked to seniors’ homes. None of the cases prompted an outbreak declaration.
No COVID-19 patients are currently in hospital, according to health unit data. All cases listed as needing hospitalization during the pandemic have been marked as resolved.
At least 114 people have had to be hospitalized due to the coronavirus, including 32 who have needed to be admitted to intensive care.
People in their 20s account for the most cases at 151, or about 21 per cent.
People in their 50s and people 80 and above both each account for 107 cases, or 15 per cent of cases each.
At least 58 per cent of cases involve women, while 22 per cent involve health-care workers — of which 83 per cent are listed as women.
Ontario
Ontario reported 102 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
The total number of cases now stands at 40,972, which includes 2,792 deaths and 37,215 cases marked as resolved.
The province also reported 89 newly resolved cases.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 30 of Ontario’s 34 public health regions reported five or fewer new cases, while 17 reported none.
Elliott says the numbers of hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care and patients on ventilators are all stable.
The province was able to complete 25,642 tests in the previous day.
Elgin and Oxford
Four people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, while two people have recovered, officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported Wednesday.
The update brings the region’s total case count to 239, of which 197 people have recovered and five have died. The death toll has not changed since early July.
There are at least 37 known active cases in the region. Of those, 16 are in Aylmer, seven each are in Bayham and St. Thomas, five are in Tillsonburg and two are in Woodstock.
Health officials reported seven new cases on Tuesday and no new cases Monday.
The number of new cases reported in the region is beginning to flatten after what’s been a startling surge over the last month and a half.
The region has reported 156 cases since the beginning of July, with 87 of those just this month. In comparison, March, April and May together saw 83 cases reported.
Aylmer has been hardest-hit by the increase, reporting a total of 74 cases overall since the beginning of the pandemic — a case rate of 987.7 per 100,000 people.
St. Thomas, which has reported at least 36 cases, has a case rate of 92.5 per 100,000 people.
According to SWPH figures, one person was listed as being in critical care as of Monday, the most recent data available.
SWPH has received 20,649 tests to date, with 255 pending results and a test-positivity rate of 1.2 per cent.
Huron and Perth
Two people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) reported Wednesday.
They bring the region’s total case count to 108. There are at least 27 active cases in the region.
Details about the cases are limited, as the health unit is in the midst of moving over to the province’s new case and contact management system.
Health officials reported 13 new cases Tuesday and six on Monday.
In a release issued early this week, the health unit said the spike in cases was due to a workplace outbreak in Bluewater/South Huron, with many cases linked to clusters within the same households.
“These cases are also connected to a larger spread of cases across southwestern Ontario,” the health unit said.
It’s unclear if the health unit was referring to the spike in cases seen in Low German-speaking communities in the London region.
The health unit is expected to begin reporting more detailed case figures later this week.
There are no active long-term care home outbreaks.
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 336, of which 299 people have recovered. The region’s death toll has remained unchanged at 25 since early June.
There are at least 12 known active cases in the county, according to the health unit. It’s not clear where the cases are located as health officials have refused to release that information.
Three recoveries were reported late Monday and four new cases late Sunday.
The Municipality of Lambton Shores, which includes Grand Bend, Port Franks and Ipperwash, has passed a mask bylaw set to come into effect on Monday. The bylaw passed during Tuesday’s council meeting with a vote of 7-2.
It joins Petrolia and Sarnia as being the only areas in the county with a mask mandate in effect. The health unit and its medical officer of health last month announced no region-wide mandate would be put into place, leaving the matter up to each municipality.
No COVID-19 patients are being treated at Bluewater Health as of Tuesday. The hospital system hasn’t treated a COVID-19 patient since June 14.
There are no active outbreaks in the region, according to the health unit. A total of 10 have been declared during the pandemic. The most recent outbreak occurred at an unspecified workplace in the county that was linked to four cases. It was declared over this past weekend.
As of late Tuesday, at least 20,928 tests had been conducted in the county. The region’s per cent positivity rate stands at 1.6 per cent.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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