Guelph reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, raising the city’s total case count to 797 during the pandemic.
It sets another single-day record of new cases in less than a week, breaking the 30 cases that were reported on Dec. 4.
Active cases jumped to 132, up by 21 from the previous day.
There are seven people being treated in the hospital for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, which is unchanged from the previous day.
Another 11 people have recovered in the last day, bringing the city’s total resolved case count to 653.
Guelph’s death toll of 12 remains unchanged.
The city has seen a tough start to the month of December, having added 176 new COVID-19 cases and one fatal case in just 10 days. Guelph added 186 new cases in the entire month of November.
Hospitalizations have gone from a single patient to seven during that time.
Guelph’s medical officer of health has asked the province to move the city, along with Wellington and Dufferin counties, into the red level of the province’s COVID-19 response framework on Monday.
Wellington County
While Guelph deals with an influx in cases in December, Wellington County is going in the opposite direction after a dreadful November.
It reported just two new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, raising its total case count to 389.
Active cases increased to 25, up by one from the previous day. The active cases include two people in hospital.
One more person has recovered from the disease, bringing the county’s total resolved case count to 359.
Its death toll of five has not changed since Nov. 26.
Since Dec. 1, Wellington County has gone from having 39 active cases to having 25 as of Thursday.
COVID-19 outbreaks in schools
A COVID-19 outbreak declared on Dec. 4 at Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute continues after three students tested positive for the novel coronavirus and two classes were closed.
The latest cases are being reported at Bishop Macdonell Catholic High School where two cases were confirmed and two classes were closed.
Meanwhile, Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute closed two classes this week after two confirmed cases.
Outbreaks have not been declared at either Bishop Macdonell or Guelph Collegiate.
Six other schools in Guelph and Wellington County are reporting a case each.
All schools remain open to students and staff.
Two active cases have been connected to the University of Guelph, but the risk is considered low, according to public health officials.
COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care
No new COVID-19 outbreaks linked to long-term care and retirement homes have been declared in the last day.
A COVID-19 outbreak was declared on Monday in the long-term care units of Guelph’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre where two staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Chartwell Wellington Park Retirement Residence in Guelph also declared an outbreak on Monday with one staff member contracting the disease.
An outbreak at Stone Lodge Retirement Home in Guelph was declared over last week but then reopened on Monday after a staff member tested positive for the coronavirus.
An outbreak that was declared on Dec. 2 at Carressant Care in Harriston continues.