Jump to: Hospitalizations – Schools – Outbreaks – Testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 33 new coronavirus cases in the region, one new death, and 13 new recoveries on Monday.
There are now a total of 1,616 COVID-19 cases and 1,381 recoveries. The total number of deaths has risen to 67.
MLHU says the new death involves a woman in her 80s and the death was not associated with a long-term care home or retirement home. On Monday afternoon, medical officer of health Dr. Chris Mackie confirmed that the death was tied to the University Hospital outbreak. He also added that another death has occurred and will be reflected in Tuesday’s data.
At least 168 cases remain active in the region as of Monday.
At least 470 cases have been reported since the start of November, more than any other month since the pandemic began. The region is currently in the yellow-protect tier of the province’s restrictions framework.
Of the 33 new cases on Monday, 28 are tied to London, one from Strathroy-Caradoc, and one in Middlesex Centre. Three cases are listed as having municipality “pending.”
Roughly half of the 33 cases are tied to outbreaks at University Hospital.
“Eleven among staff or patients at the hospital and another six or seven related to contacts of staff or patients from the outbreak that are usually household contacts,” said Mackie.
According to the health unit, 1,490 cases have been reported in London since the pandemic began, while 38 have been in Strathroy-Caradoc, 36 in Middlesex Centre, and 29 in Thames Centre. Lucan Biddulph has seen nine, North Middlesex, eight; Southwest Middlesex, two; and Newbury, one.
Hospitalizations
On Monday, LHSC said 36 patients have tested positive for COVID-19 in connection with outbreaks at University Hospital while 34 staff and health-care providers have tested positive for COVID-19.
It is not clear what the total number of inpatients hospitalized with COVID-19 is, outside of the outbreaks.
However, LHSC chief medical officer Dr. Adam Dukelow said on Monday that there are five COVID-19 patients in its ICUs, two of which are related to the UH outbreaks.
The increase in staff cases comes as LHSC continues to grapple with what the health unit considers to be several active outbreaks at University Hospital that have infected at least 80 people in total — at least four have died.
According to St. Joseph’s Health Care London, three of its staff members have the virus as of Friday.
As of Nov. 18, neither St. Joseph’s Health Care London nor Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital has seen more than four COVID-19 patients in their care at any given time. (This is reflected in the data as “<5” or less than five.)
The total number of people ever hospitalized in London and Middlesex is 178 as of Monday. Of those, 39 needed intensive care.
Schools
The MLHU is reporting five schools with active COVID-19 cases:
- Catholic Central High School with two cases
- John Paul II Catholic Secondary School, one case
- Lord Dorchester Secondary School, one case
- Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School, one case
- St. Marguerite d’Youville School, one case
All of the schools are in London except for Lord Dorchester, which is in Thames Centre.
Meanwhile, two post-secondary outbreaks remain active as of Monday, the health unit says.
An outbreak, declared Nov. 19 at Saugeen-Maitland Hall, has been linked to at least nine infections, while an outbreak declared Nov. 21 at Perth Hall has been tied to three cases.
Previously, an outbreak at London Hall was tied to six cases.
Institutional outbreaks
No new institutional outbreaks have been declared, according to the health unit; however, an outbreak declared Nov. 10 at University Hospital is impacting six units.
The outbreak, which originated in 4IP General Medicine, was later expanded to encompass 6IP Acute/Decant Medicine, 9IP Sub-Acute Medicine, 10IP Palliative Care/Sub-Acute Medicine, 4TU Multi-Organ Transplant Unit, and 6IP Cardiovascular Surgery.
University Hospital was also the scene of a separate outbreak, declared Nov. 11 in 9IP Orthopedics, that has since been declared over. That outbreak was linked to six cases.
In total, the University Hospital outbreaks have been tied to at least 80 cases and four deaths, and have impacted seven units as of Monday afternoon. However, one of the deaths is not yet reflected in MLHU data but is expected to be included in Tuesday’s update.
Since March, the region has seen at least 54 institutional outbreaks in London and Middlesex, including at least 40 at local seniors’ facilities. Seniors’ facility outbreaks alone have been tied to 112 resident cases, 111 staff cases and 39 deaths.
Testing
No new testing figures have been released.
The most recent, from the week of Nov. 15, found that 7,427 people were tested, up 730 from the week before.
The test per cent positivity rate for that week was 1.4 per cent, up from 1.2 the week prior.
Both of the city’s assessment centres, Carling Heights and Oakridge Arena, are continuing to operate by appointment only. Appointment testing for certain asymptomatic people is also continuing at eight local pharmacies.
Ontario
Ontario reported 1,746 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 116,492.
According to Monday’s provincial report, 622 cases were recorded in Toronto — the highest single-day increase; 390 in Peel Region; 217 in York Region; 108 in Durham Region; and 74 in Waterloo Region.
All other public health units in Ontario reported under 70 new cases.
The death toll in the province has risen to 3,656 as eight more deaths were reported while 618 are people are currently listed as hospitalized due to COVID-19.
More than 39,400 tests were processed in the last 24 hours. There is currently a backlog of 27,388 tests that need results.
The government previously said it hoped to increase testing capacity to 68,000 per day by mid-November.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health reported six new COVID-19 cases along with one more recovery on Monday.
The update brings the region’s total case count to 555, of which 479 people have recovered and six have died. The most recent death involved a man in his 70s who had been hospitalized, according to the health unit. It was reported last Wednesday.
Monday’s update leaves at least 70 active cases in the region. Of those, 53 are in Oxford County while 17 are in Elgin County.
Twenty-eight cases are in Woodstock alone, while Ingersoll has 10 active cases; St. Thomas, seven; Aylmer, six; and Tillsonburg, five. Eight other municipalities have active case counts under five each.
SWPH is currently in the orange-restrict tier of the province’s colour-coded restrictions framework.
Two people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are currently hospitalized, with one person in the ICU.
The most recent school case was reported late Wednesday at Forest Park Public School in St. Thomas involving one student.
At least 13 cases have been reported at schools in the region since March.
According to provincial data, at least five schools in the region have active cases as of Monday:
- Laurie Hawkins Public School in Ingersoll (one staff case)
- Assumption Catholic Secondary school in Aylmer (three student cases)
- Northdale Public School in Woodstock (one student case)
- Forest Park Public School in St. Thomas (one student case)
- Central Public School in Woodstock (one student case)
One institutional outbreak remains active in the region as of Monday. It was reported on Nov. 24 at Woodingford Lodge in Woodstock and involves one staff case.
At least 10 outbreaks have been declared since March at nine facilities, linked to at least 20 cases, of which four have involved residents.
Woodstock has seen the largest number of cases during the pandemic, 121, followed closely behind by Aylmer with 113.
Yet due to their population differences, Aylmer’s incident rate is equivalent to 1,508.3 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 295.8 per 100,000 in Woodstock.
Elsewhere, Bayham has seen 78 cases; St. Thomas, 63; Tillsonburg, 44; Norwich Township, 41; Ingersoll, 25; East Zorra-Tavistock, 13; Blandford-Blenheim, 12; and Dutton/Dunwich, 11. Six other municipalities have case tallies below 10.
As of the week of Nov. 15, the most recent figures available, the region’s test positivity rate stood at 1.1 per cent, down from 2.0 the week before. At least 3,882 people were tested for the virus that week.
Huron and Perth
Huron Perth Public Health’s total care count went up by 15 with 16 new cases, minus one case that has been reassigned to a different health unit.
HPPH also reported one additional death as well as six recoveries as of 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Four people are currently hospitalized, according to the health unit.
Of the 16 new cases, nine are in Perth County, three are in Huron County, and four are in Stratford.
The region’s total case count now stands at 333, of which 263 people have recovered and 18 have died.
On Sunday, medical officer of health Dr. Miriam Klassen issued a Section 22 order “that authorizes the health unit to enforce individual compliance with public health instructions.”
The order’s main focus is on ensuring that people told to self-isolate or quarantine due so.
The region remains in the orange-restrict level of the province’s COVID-19 framework, as it has since Nov. 23.
Three outbreaks tied to long-term care and retirement homes remain active.
One is at Spruce Lodge Long Term Care Home in Stratford and involves one staff member. Another other is at Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East and also involves one staff member.
The third outbreak is in Stratford at Cedarcroft Place. The outbreak, declared Oct. 27, is linked to 45 resident cases and 22 staff cases — or about one-half of all residents and one-third of all staff.
As of Saturday, HPPH said 11 deaths are tied to the Cedarcroft outbreak. Of the 45 resident cases, one remains active. Of the 22 staff cases, two are active.
Northside Christian School, a small private religious school in Listowel, remains closed following an outbreak declaration. While only one staff case is reported, HPPH says “due to the nature of the school, one cohort could not be identified and therefore HPPH has closed the school until at least Dec. 1.”
As of Saturday, HPPH also reports one case tied to Goderich Collegiate in Goderich and one case at Anne Hathaway elementary in Stratford.
There are three confirmed cases at St. Ambrose school in Stratford but, as of Saturday, HPPH says a public health investigation “has determined that there was not transmission at school.”
Since-resolved school cases have been reported at St. Michael Catholic Secondary School (one student), Milverton Public School (two students) and Shakespeare Public School (one student).
Sarnia and Lambton
Three new cases and one recovery were reported by Lambton Public Health on Monday.
There are a total of 410 cases, of which 369 have been resolved while 25 people have died. The most recent death was reported in early June.
The region shifted from green-prevent to yellow-protect as of 12:01 a.m. on Monday, according to Lambton Public Health.
Full details on what comes with a move to yellow-protect can be found on the province’s website.
As of Monday, 16 cases are known to be active in the county.
Bluewater Health reports one person is in hospital with a confirmed case of COVID-19, down from two as reported Friday.
Ten people are in hospital with tests pending for COVID-19, but that number includes pre-surgical screening.
At least three school cases remain active at St. Patrick’s Catholic High School in Sarnia, according to the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
The board is reporting one new case on Monday, at Ursuline College Chatham Catholic Secondary School in Chatham.
Since-resolved cases include two student cases at Northern Collegiate Institute and Vocational School in Sarnia, and one student case each at Bright’s Grove Public School in Sarnia, Colonel Cameron Public School in Corunna, and Riverview Central School in Port Lambton.
No outbreaks were active, but a total of 13 have been declared since March, linked to 115 cases and 16 deaths. Two outbreaks earlier in the pandemic, located at Landmark Village and Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia, are linked to a vast majority of those cases, and all 16 deaths.
The health unit says 10 of the region’s 13 outbreaks have involved seniors’ facilities, while two have involved workplaces and one has been at Bluewater Health.
At least 56,140 people had been tested in the county as of Nov. 21, the most recent figures available. About 2,600 people were tested from Nov. 15 to Nov. 21, with a weekly per cent positivity rate of 0.56 per cent.
— with files from Global News’ Kelly Wang and Gabby Rodrigues.
Comments