Coronavirus: 1 new case, 1 recovery in London-Middlesex

One person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus and one person has recovered, health officials in London and Middlesex reported on Tuesday.

That brings the region’s total case count to 739, of which 673 people have recovered. Fifty-seven people have died, most recently on June 12.

There are at least nine known active cases in London-Middlesex.

The most recent case was reported in London and involves someone in their 50s who became infected through contact with a confirmed case. They are not listed as being a health-care worker.

Further details are not available as the health unit has removed the ability to see more in-depth data on each of the region’s cases from its website.

Health officials reported two new cases on Monday and one new case and two recoveries on Sunday.

At least 683 of the region’s cases have been reported in London, while 26 have been in Strathroy-Caradoc and 12 in Middlesex Centre. Seven cases have been in Thames Centre, six in North Middlesex, four in Lucan Biddulph and one in Southwest Middlesex.

The region’s seven-day average for new cases stands at 0.85 as of Tuesday. Looking back 14 days to Aug. 25, the average is 1.14.

As of Thursday, the region’s cases per 100,000 rate stood at 145.6, while Ontario’s was 290.4.

The region’s test positivity rate stood at 0.1 per cent as of the week of Aug. 23, the most recent figures available. Ontario’s was 0.5 per cent. The health unit tested 5,442 people that week.

No outbreaks are currently active in the region. At least 27 have been declared during the pandemic, including 21 at seniors’ facilities.

Outbreaks are tied to 190 of the region’s cases and 35 of its deaths, but have been linked to few, if any, cases in the last month.

At least 115 people have had to be hospitalized during the pandemic, including 32 who required intensive care.

It’s not clear whether there are any COVID-19 patients in hospital as the health unit has removed the ability to see that information from its website.

People in their 20s remain the largest group of cases, accounting for 157 cases, followed by people in their 50s with 111 cases and people 80 and above with 107.

At least 58 per cent of cases involve women, while about 22 per cent involve health-care workers — of which 83 per cent are listed as women.

Ontario

Provincially, Ontario reported 375 new cases of COVID-19 over the past two days.

The province is reporting two days’ worth of data as Monday was a holiday.

There were also 238 cases newly marked as resolved on Sunday and Monday in the provincewide report.

Health Minister Christine Elliott says there were 185 new cases in the past 24 hours, with 190 recorded the day before.

The total number of cases in Ontario now stands at 43,536, which includes 2,813 deaths and 39,196 cases marked as resolved.

The province was able to complete nearly 45,000 tests over the past two days.

Elgin and Oxford

Three people have recovered from the novel coronavirus, officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported on Tuesday.

The total number of confirmed cases in the region remains unchanged at 254, of which now 247 people have recovered. Five people have died, most recently in early July.

Tuesday marks the 13th day in a row that the health unit has not reported a new case. The last time was Aug. 26.

It’s a marked change from a month ago, when health officials were regularly reporting more than six per day.

As of Tuesday, only two cases are known to be active in the region — one in Aylmer and one in Bayham. One is in their 50s, the other in their 60s. Both are men, and both are reportedly in hospital, one in intensive care, according to officials.

Aylmer has been the hardest-hit municipality in the health unit’s jurisdiction, reporting a total of 82 cases during the pandemic, and recording an incident rate of nearly 1,100 cases per 100,000 people — more than nine times the region’s overall rate of 119.

Of the region’s cases, 102 are attributed to close contact with another case and 38 to workplace exposure, 27 involve health-care workers, 23 are linked to travel, 13 are related to social gatherings and one involves a resident of an institution.

Fifty-five cases are listed as having an “unknown” source of exposure.

The most common symptoms reported by those infected have been cough, fever, fatigue and headache, according to health unit figures.

At least 23 people have had to be hospitalized during the pandemic, including 11 in intensive care.

The region’s test-positivity rate was 0.3 per cent as of the week of Aug. 23, the most recent figures available.

Huron and Perth

No new cases, deaths or recoveries were reported on Tuesday by officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH).

The region’s total confirmed case count remains unchanged at 120, of which 115 people have recovered. Five people have also died.

The health unit did not issue an update on Monday or over the weekend.

There are no known active cases in HPPH’s jurisdiction, according to officials.

By region, at least 43 cases have been reported in Huron County, including 12 each in Bluewater and Central Huron and 10 in South Huron.

In Perth County, at least 42 cases have been reported, including 16 in North Perth and 15 in Perth East, while in Stratford, 29 cases have been reported, along with four deaths.

St. Marys, meantime, has reported six cases and one death.

Few other details were available, as the health unit is still in the midst of transitioning to the province’s new case and contact management system, a process that began Aug. 13.

Sarnia and Lambton

No new cases, deaths or recoveries were reported late Monday by officials with Lambton Public Health (LPH).

The region’s total confirmed case count remains at 341, of which 314 people have recovered. Twenty-five people have also died, a tally unchanged since early June.

According to the health unit, at least two cases are known to be active in the region. It’s unclear where the cases are located, as the health unit has bucked the trend seen in other health units and refused to release case location data.

The health unit reported one new recovery late Sunday and one new case late Saturday.

No outbreaks have been active in the county since Aug. 15. At least 10 have been declared: nine at local seniors’ homes and one at a workplace the health unit did not identify.

Outbreaks are linked to at least 109 cases and 16 deaths, with a vast majority reported at just two seniors’ facilities in Sarnia: Landmark Village and Vision Nursing Home.

The total number of people who have been hospitalized due to the virus is also unchanged at 58. The most recent hospital admission recorded was at the end of May.

Bluewater Health discharged its last COVID-19 patient on June 14.

The health unit says at least 24,106 tests have been received as of late Monday, and at least 1.4 per cent of tests are coming back positive.

— With files from Kelly Wang and The Canadian Press