Four people have recovered from the novel coronavirus in London and Middlesex, local health officials reported Friday.
The total number of cases confirmed in the region stands at 743, of which 677 have now recovered. Fifty-seven people have died due to the virus, most recently on June 12.
There are at least nine known active cases in the region, according to the health unit. It’s unclear where all of the active cases are located.
Health officials reported one new case on Thursday, three new cases on Wednesday, one new case and one recovery on Tuesday, two new cases on Monday and one case and two recoveries on Sunday.
At least 687 of the region’s cases have been reported in London, Ont., 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 1.28 as of Friday. Looking back 14 days to Aug. 28, the average is 1.14.
As of Friday, the region’s cases per 100,000 rate stood at 146.4, while Ontario’s was 295.0.
The region’s test positivity rate stood at 0.1 per cent as of the week of Aug. 30, the most recent figures available. Ontario’s was 0.6 per cent. The health unit tested 4,414 people that week.
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People in their 20s remain the largest age cohort of cases with 158 cases, or about 21.3 per cent. People in their 50s make up 113 cases, while people 80 and over make up 108.
On Friday, the health unit reported that it had been notified of a new COVID-19 case involving a patron of El Furniture Warehouse, a restaurant along London’s Richmond Row.
The health unit said the person had spent two hours there between midnight and 2 a.m. early Monday morning.
While risk of exposure to other patrons was assessed by officials as low, anyone at the restaurant within that time frame has been advised by the health unit to monitor themselves and seek testing if symptoms develop.
“We’ve seen post-secondary students return to our community and the temptation to have more social gatherings, or to move those gatherings indoors as temperatures cool, will be great,” said the region’s associate medical officer of health, Dr. Alex Summers, in a statement.
“The importance of following public health guidance right now can’t be underestimated.”
It’s not clear whether the individual was inside the restaurant or on its patio for the majority of those two hours.
Also on Friday, Western University announced the opening of a new COVID-19 testing trailer on campus that can be used by students, faculty and staff.
The trailer will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday in the parking lot of Social Science Centre. The trailer will be open this Saturday only.
By transmission source, outbreaks are linked to the most number of cases — 255.
There have been at least 28 outbreaks declared during the pandemic, including 22 at local seniors’ facilities. Outbreaks are tied to 191 of the region’s cases and 35 of its deaths.
The most recent outbreak was declared Sept. 9 on the fourth floor of Chelsey Park Retirement Community, according to the health unit. Few other details are available. It remained active as of Friday.
At least 115 people have had to be hospitalized during the pandemic, including 32 who have needed to be admitted to intensive care, according to the health unit.
It’s not clear how many, if any, hospitalized cases are currently active as health officials have not made that information readily available. London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) only says the number of hospitalized cases currently is “five or less.”
Ontario
Provincially, Ontario reported 213 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
It’s the highest single-day jump since late June.
There were also 124 cases newly marked as resolved over the past 24 hours.
The total number of cases in Ontario now stands at 44,068, which includes 2,813 deaths and 39,598 cases classified as resolved.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 26 of the province’s 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer new cases.
Elliott says there are 71 new cases in Toronto, 38 in Peel and 37 in Ottawa.
The province says four students have also tested positive for COVID-19, all in Ottawa, along with nine school staff who have tested positive for the disease.
The province has launched a public website showing all cases of COVID-19 in the province’s schools and child-care centres.
The province says the site will be updated every weekday and include a summary of cases, as well as more detailed information on where the numbers come from.
Elgin and Oxford
For the first time since Aug. 26, officials with Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) have reported a new case of the novel coronavirus.
It brings the region’s total case count to 255. One recovery was also reported Friday in Aylmer, bringing that total to 248. Five people have died during the pandemic, a tally unchanged since July 3.
It leaves two known active cases in the region, one in Bayham and one in Woodstock. Health unit figures show the cases involve two men, one in their 50s the other in their 60s.
According to officials, one of the individuals became infected through workplace exposure. The transmission source of the other man is not known. Both are in hospital, with one in the ICU.
Health officials reported no change on Thursday and Wednesday and reported three recoveries on Tuesday.
Aylmer has reported the highest number of cases overall during the pandemic with 82, recording an incidence rate of nearly 1,100 cases per 100,000 people.
Elsewhere, Bayham has reported 38 cases, while St. Thomas has reported 37, Tillsonburg 25 and Woodstock 23.
At least 102 of the region’s cases are linked to close contact with another case, while 38 are due to workplace exposure. Twenty-seven cases involve health-care workers, 23 are linked to travel, 13 are tied to social gatherings and one involves a resident of an institution.
Fifty-five are listed as having an “unknown” exposure source.
Current testing data was not available. The health unit says 1,855 people were tested the week of Aug. 30, the most recent statistics available.
Huron and Perth
One person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus while one person has recovered, officials with Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) reported Friday.
It brings the region’s total case count to 124, of which 117 have recovered. Five have also died.
Health unit figures show the new case was reported in Central Huron.
There are two known active cases in the region.
One recovery was reported Thursday, three new cases were reported Wednesday — all in Perth South — and no change was reported Tuesday.
At least 45 cases have been reported in Perth County, including 16 in North Perth and 15 in Perth East.
Elsewhere, at least 44 cases have been reported in Huron County, including 13 in Central Huron, 12 in Bluewater, and 10 in South Huron.
In Stratford, 29 cases have been reported, along with four deaths, while in St. Marys, six cases and one death have been reported.
People in their 20s remain the largest group of cases by age with 26, followed by people in their 50s and 60s with 22 each.
Fifty-five per cent of cases involve women and girls.
Testing data was not immediately available.
Sarnia and Lambton
No new cases, deaths, or recoveries were reported late Thursday by officials with Lambton Public Health.
It leaves the region’s total confirmed case count unchanged at 342, of which 314 have recovered. Twenty-five have also died, most recently in early June.
There remain three cases known active in the region. It’s not clear where the cases are located, as the health unit has refused to release location information.
Health officials reported one new case late Wednesday and reported no change both late Tuesday and Monday. One recovery was reported late Sunday and one case late Saturday.
The total number of outbreaks remains unchanged at 10 — eight at seniors homes, one at Bluewater Health, and one at an unspecified workplace.
According to health unit figures, 41 per cent of cases are due to close contact of a confirmed case, while 35 per cent are linked to outbreaks and 22 per cent are listed as having an “unknown” source. Two per cent are linked to travel.
At least 57 per cent of cases involve women and girls. Eighteen per cent of all cases are listed as being health-care workers.
People 80 and above make up 22 per cent of cases, followed by people in their 50s with 15 per cent and people in their 20s with 14 per cent.
The health unit says at least 24,303 tests have been received as of late Thursday and at least 1.4 per cent of tests are coming back positive.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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