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Four people have died and 143 others have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit reported on Monday.
At least 4,516 people have tested positive for the virus in London and Middlesex during the pandemic, of which 3,084 have recovered — 47 more than the day before — and 127 have died.
Monday marks the 10th day in a row that the region has reported a COVID-19-related death. On nine of those days, at least two deaths were reported.
The health unit says the four deaths reported on Monday involved three men, one in their 70s and two in their 90s, and a woman in her 90s. All four are associated with a long-term care home.
At least 997 cases and 25 deaths have been reported just this month. January’s running case tally surpasses the totals seen during every preceding month of the pandemic, except for December, which posted a record 1,724 cases.
January’s current death toll is more than half the 36 deaths reported during December, and accounts for 20 per cent of all deaths seen during the pandemic.
Of the 143 cases reported on Monday, 89 are from London, according to the health unit.
Elsewhere, at least 22 are from Middlesex Centre, 14 are from Strathroy-Caradoc, five are from Thames Centre, two are from North Middlesex, and one is from Southwest Middlesex. At least 10 cases are pending a location.
Of those infected, half are under the age of 40 — 21 are 19 or younger, 32 are in their 20s, 19 are in their 30s, 18 are in their 40s, 21 are in their 50s, 10 are in their 60s, six are in their 70s, and 16 are 80 or older.
Exposure source information is currently only available for 14 of the reported cases. Seven are due to an outbreak, four due to close contact and three have no known link. At least 129 are pending an exposure source or are undetermined.
Monday’s case jump is the second-highest after the 160 reported on Jan. 5.
According to the health unit, it took 262 days for the region to report its first 1,000 cases, and only nine days for it to record 1,000 cases between Dec. 29, 2020, and Jan. 6, 2021.
The region’s seven-day case average stands at 120.14 on Monday compared to 108.14 on Friday. The seven-day average was 80.28 as of Dec. 31.
The 14-day average, meantime, stands at 108.14 on Monday compared to 95.42 on Friday. The average was 75.78 as of Dec. 31.
The region’s test per cent positivity rate stood at 5.3 per cent as of last week, up from 3.7 the week before, health unit figures released Wednesday show. Roughly 9,738 people were tested last week, down from 11,188 the week before.
The region’s cumulative incidence rate is 889.8 per 100,000 people, compared to Ontario’s 1,451.7.
Middlesex Centre has been the locale hardest hit by the pandemic. Health unit figures show that despite posting just 189 cases in total since the pandemic began, because of its small population, the municipality’s incidence rate is equivalent to 1,188.2 cases per 100,000.
In comparison, London, which has seen 3,867 cases, has an incidence rate of 978.3.
Elsewhere, Strathroy-Caradoc has posted 124 cases, Thames Centre 75, Lucan Biddulph 27, Southwest Middlesex 23, North Middlesex 21, Adelaide Metcalfe six and Newbury two. Thirty-four cases are pending location data.
Hospitalizations
The number of COVID-19 inpatients in the care of London Health Sciences Centre has dropped by one compared to Friday to 40, the organization reported Monday.
LHSC does not issue updates over the weekend.
At the same time, the number of COVID-19 in-patients in critical or intensive care rose by one to 12.
Active LHSC staff cases, meantime, have dropped by five to 27 as of Monday.
Elsewhere, no COVID-19 in-patients were reported in the care of St. Joseph’s Hospital as of Friday afternoon, the most recent update.
St. Joseph’s Health Care London says at least 18 staff are currently infected with the virus, 12 in connection with outbreaks at Mount Hope Centre for Long-Term Care. At least 22 residents of the facility have tested positive and two have died.
According to the health unit, at least 304 people have been hospitalized due to the virus since the pandemic began. At least 58 have needed intensive care.
With the second wave of the pandemic still in full swing, London Health Sciences Centre is out a president and CEO.
Dr. Paul Woods was let go, effective immediately, from his role at the organization on Monday, according to a statement from LHSC’s board of directors.
It was revealed Friday that Woods had travelled five times to the United States during the pandemic last year to visit immediate family. The most recent visit took place from Dec. 19 to 25.
It’s not clear where Woods travelled and when else he travelled as LHSC is refusing to answer any further questions. It’s also unclear how long each trip lasted.
Though the board of directors had stated last week that Woods had received their support, by Monday the board said it had become clear the situation had affected the confidence of staff, physicians and the community in Woods staying on in his position.
The board also clarified that while it was “aware of Dr. Woods’ personal circumstances,” it was not given advanced notice of, nor did it approve, Woods’ travel outside of Canada, adding there is no process for the board of a public hospital to approve a CEO’s personal travel.
Institutional outbreaks
One new institutional outbreak has been declared in the region and one has resolved, according to the Middlesex-London Health Unit.
The health unit says the outbreak was declared on Sunday at Queens Village in its Memory Lane area.
The resolved outbreak was reported at Victoria Hospital in D7-200 on Jan. 1. It was tied to fewer than five patient and five staff cases and no deaths.
It follows a weekend that saw at least four other seniors’ facility outbreaks reported.
Outbreaks remain active at the following seniors’ facilities, declared on:
- Jan. 9 at Fox Hollow Retirement Residence (first floor)
- Jan. 9 at Glendale Crossing (Lambeth, Westminster)
- Jan. 8 at Chelsey Park Retirement Community (fifth floor)
- Jan. 8 at Strathmere Lodge (Sydenham Meadows)
- Jan. 5 at Oneida Long-Term Care Home (facility-wide)
- Jan. 2 at Chelsey Park (Long-term Care – fifth floor, second floor)
- Dec. 26 at Earls Court Village (third floor)
- Dec. 26 at Extendicare (third floor, second floor)
- Dec. 26 at Oakcrossing Retirement Living (second floor)
- Dec. 23 at Middlesex Terrace (facility-wide)
- Dec. 22 at Mount Hope Centre for Long-Term Care (SM1, MV4, MV5. Outbreaks in SM2 and SM3 were resolved Jan. 6. At least 22 residents and 12 staff are currently infected and two people have died.)
- Dec. 8 at Country Terrace (facility-wide).
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The number of people infected or dead in each outbreak is not generally made public by the health unit. St. Joseph’s Health Care London has reported such figures for Mount Hope.
Elsewhere, two outbreaks remain active at Victoria Hospital.
The outbreaks, declared on Dec. 31 in D5-300 and on Jan. 6 in B41 Antenatal, are each associated with fewer than five patient and five staff cases. No deaths have been reported.
Since March, the region has seen at least 85 institutional outbreaks in London and Middlesex, including at least 61 at local seniors’ facilities.
The health unit says seniors’ facility outbreaks are linked to at least 307 resident cases, 278 staff cases and at least 61 deaths.
Schools
No new school cases were reported by the health unit on Monday and no school cases are presently active.
The health unit says at least 174 cases have been reported at schools and child-care centres during the pandemic.
Despite there being no school cases, two school outbreak declarations remain active, located at Covenant Christian School (from Dec. 29) and Lord Dorchester Secondary School (from Jan. 4).
The provincial government announced on Thursday that schools across southern Ontario would not be returning to in-person classes Monday as planned.
Instead, students in southern Ontario will continue attending classes remotely until at least Jan. 25.
To account for the change, Education Minister Stephen Lecce announced Saturday that the list of essential workers eligible for emergency child care would be expanded.
It now includes RCMP officers, custodial and clerical education workers and postal staff.
Elementary school students across northern Ontario returned to in-class learning Monday morning.
Vaccinations and testing
Vaccinations are continuing at the Western Fair District Agriplex.
Roughly 500 people are being vaccinated per day, according to LHSC.
Last week, MLHU associate medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers noted there was “very little vaccine” available in London and Middlesex, but there is some.
“Vaccines are being prioritized for long-term care home and retirement home staff, and residents when it’s possible to fulsomely move the Pfizer vaccine, if available, out to those facilities,” Summers said.
He stressed, though, that there is not currently enough vaccine to cover all long-term care and retirement home staff in London and Middlesex.
“We try to ensure that we’re using that vaccine in a way that minimizes the potential for people to die, and at this point in time, that remains people who are working in congregate care settings for seniors,” he said.
It’s not clear if the region has received any vials of the Moderna vaccine, which requires less intense cold storage requirements than the Pfizer vaccine. An update is expected Monday.
At least 5.3 per cent of tests were coming back positive as of the week of Dec. 27, according to figures released Wednesday by the health unit. The rate is up from 3.7 per cent the week before.
The increase came amid fewer tests — 9,738 compared to 11,188 the week before.
The city’s two main assessment centres have continued to see steady turnout, with Carling Heights seeing the largest demand.
Both centres are continuing to operate by appointment only. Appointment testing for certain asymptomatic people is also continuing at some local pharmacies.
Ontario
The province reported 29 additional deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, along with 3,338 new cases, which brings the total number of deaths reported to 5,012 since the start of the pandemic.
The government said 1,563 people are currently hospitalized with the virus, with 387 people in intensive care and 268 on ventilators.
Ontario’s cabinet was to consider new measures Monday to fight skyrocketing rates of COVID-19, but a curfew was not one of them.
Premier Doug Ford said residents can expect an announcement on new measures on Tuesday.
“We worked all weekend … right until late hours last night,” he said as he arrived at the legislature ahead of Monday night’s cabinet meeting.
“We’ll be going to cabinet with recommendations.”
Senior government sources with knowledge of the measures being considered confirmed that an overnight curfew was not recommended by public health officials.
The government is also set to make new COVID-19 projections public on Tuesday. Ford has said those figures are very concerning and warned of “rough waters” ahead.
Officials in government and health-care have warned that surging cases are putting great strain on the health-care system.
The premier said Friday that the current provincewide lockdown could extend past January, along with new public health measures to respond to rising infections.
Elgin and Oxford
Two people have died, 27 have tested positive for the coronavirus and 21 others have recovered, Southwestern Public Health reported on Monday.
The region’s total case tally now stands at 1,761, of which 1,346 people have recovered and 32 have died.
Health officials say the two deaths involved an 86-year-old man and a 94-year-old woman who were both associated with Maple Manor, which is dealing with an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
With Thursday’s update, there are at least 383 active cases in the county. At least 119 of them are in Tillsonburg, while 68 are in St. Thomas, 46 in Woodstock and 37 in Aylmer.
So far this month, the region has reported 457 cases and 19 deaths — about 60 per cent of all deaths reported by the health unit during the pandemic.
The region posted a record single-day case increase of 75 on Jan. 2 and had a test per cent positivity rate of 6.2 per cent as of the week of Dec. 27, up from 4.1 the week prior.
No new institutional outbreaks have been reported.
The most recent was declared on Jan. 9 at Secord Trails in Ingersoll, tied to one staff case.
An outbreak at Maple Manor Nursing Home, declared in mid-December, continues to worsen. At least 22 resident cases and four staff cases have been reported at the home since Friday, in addition to two deaths reported Monday.
The facility has reported at least 80 resident cases and 45 staff cases, along with 11 deaths since the outbreak declaration on Dec. 12. The facility has been home to at least 92 residents as of last week, meaning some 86 per cent of its resident population has become infected with the virus over the last month.
Elsewhere, outbreaks remain active at the following facilities, as declared on:
- Jan. 8 at Extendicare Port Stanley (one staff case)
- Jan. 6 at Trillium Retirement Home (five resident, five staff cases)
- Jan. 4 at Goodness Retirement Living (one staff case)
- Jan. 4 at Caressant Care Bonnie Place – St. Thomas (one resident case)
- Jan. 1 at Woodingford Lodge – Woodstock (two resident, one staff case)
- Dec. 19 at Terrace Lodge in Aylmer (five staff cases)
- Dec. 16 at PeopleCare Tavistock (37 resident, 32 staff cases, five deaths)
No new school cases appear to have been reported in the region. No cases are active at schools in the region that are operated by the Thames Valley District School Board or the London District Catholic School Board.
The health unit defers updates about school cases to the boards and to the province, which has paused the updating of its online database amid the remote learning period.
At least 64 school cases have been reported in the region since the school year began, most of them in Elgin County.
The health unit says St. Thomas has seen the highest number of cases, 314, compared to Aylmer’s 299.
However, due to Aylmer’s smaller population, it has been hit much harder. The town’s incidence rate is equivalent to 3,990 cases per 100,000 people, compared to St. Thomas’s 807 per 100,000.
Elsewhere, Woodstock has seen 266 cases, Tillsonburg 262, Norwich 140, Bayham 139, East Zorra-Tavistock 76, Ingersoll 67, Blandford-Blenheim 44, Zorra 39, South-West Oxford 33, Central Elgin 28, West Elgin 16, Dutton/Dunwich 15, Southwold 15 and Malahide six.
The region’s test positivity rate stood at 6.2 per cent as of the week of Dec. 27, up from 4.2 the week prior. Roughly 5,028 people were tested, compared to 5,291 the week prior.
Huron and Perth
One person has died and 41 others have tested positive for the coronavirus, Huron Perth Public Health Reported on Monday.
The update brings the region’s total case tally to 888, of which 757 have recovered — an increase of 41 — and 25 have died.
Details about the deceased were not immediately available.
The health unit said eight of Monday’s cases are from Stratford, while six each are from Perth South and South Huron.
Elsewhere, four each are from North Perth, Perth East and St. Marys, three are from Morris Turnberry, two are from West Perth, and one each is from ACW, Howick, Huron East, North and Huron.
At least 106 cases are active in the region as of Monday. At least 28 are active in South Huron, 24 are in North Perth, 12 are in Stratford and 10 are in St. Marys.
No new institutional outbreaks have been reported. Nine are currently active, with six at long-term care homes and three at retirement homes.
Outbreaks remain active at the following facilities, as declared on:
- Jan. 8 at Wildwood Care Centre in St. Marys (one staff case)
- Jan. 7 at Caressant Care Retirement Home in North Perth (10 resident, one staff case)
- Jan. 7 at Greenwood Court in Stratford (one staff case)
- Jan. 4 at Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East (two staff cases)
- Jan. 3 at Seaforth Manor in Huron East (one staff case)
- Jan. 1 at Livingstone Manor in North Perth (two resident, two staff cases)
- Dec. 26 at Braemar Nursing Home in North Huron (two staff cases)
- Dec. 21 at Exeter Villa in South Huron [retirement] (one resident case)
- Dec. 18 at Exeter Villa in South Huron [LTC] (36 resident, nine staff cases).
Meantime, no new school cases have been reported.
One was reported over the weekend at the Avon-Maitland District School Board.
Elsewhere, at least eight cases remain active at schools under the Avon Maitland Board. The cases were confirmed on:
- Jan. 6 at South Huron District High School
- Jan. 4 at Elma Township Public School
- Jan. 4 at F.E. Madill Secondary School
- Jan. 4 at Stratford District Secondary School
- Jan. 4 at St. Marys District Collegiate and Vocational Institute
- Dec. 29 at North Perth Westfield Elementary School
- Dec. 29 at Stratford District Secondary School (two cases)
Of the region’s total case count, 379 cases have been located in Perth County, including 205 in North Perth and 125 in Perth East.
Elsewhere, 237 cases have been in Stratford, while 248 have been in Huron County and 24 have been in St. Marys.
As of the week of Dec. 27, the region’s test per cent positivity rate was 3.4 per cent, up from 2.5 per cent a week earlier, and 1.6 per cent the week before that.
At least 3,494 people were tested, down from 3,742 the week before.
Sarnia and Lambton
Eighty-five people have tested positive for the coronavirus, Lambton Public Health reported Monday.
The jump is the second-highest increase the county has seen, behind the 93-case jump that was reported on New Year’s Eve.
Monday’s update brings the total number of confirmed cases in Lambton to 1,309, of which 1,057 people have recovered — 51 more than the day before — and 28 have died. The most recent death was reported Dec. 19.
Health unit figures show the region has posted at least 462 new cases since Jan. 1. At least 6.8 per cent of tests were coming back positive as of the week of Dec. 27. Updated figures are expected Wednesday.
At least 224 cases are currently active in Lambton. It’s unclear where the cases are located.
Health officials declared at least five separate outbreaks at seniors’ facilities over the weekend.
Two were declared Jan. 8 at Twin Lakes Terrace in Sarnia, one in its long-term care facility and the other in its retirement home. The long-term care outbreak is linked to 12 resident cases and one staff case, while the retirement home outbreak is linked to one staff case.
Elsewhere, two cases were reported at Fiddick’s in Petrolia. Similar to Twin Lakes, one outbreak is in its long-term care home (one staff case) and in its retirement home (one staff case).
An outbreak was also declared on Jan. 9 at Sumac Lodge in Sarnia, linked to one staff case.
Outbreaks are also active at the following facilities, as declared on:
- Jan. 4 at Fairwinds Lodge in Sarnia (four resident, two staff cases)
- Jan. 1 at Afton Park Place in Sarnia (one staff case)
- Jan. 1 at Lambton Meadowview Villa in Petrolia (two staff cases)
- Dec. 31 at North Lambton Lodge in Forest (one resident case)
- Dec. 30 at Village on the St. Clair in Sarnia (seven resident, five staff cases)
- Dec. 27 at Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia (two resident cases)
- Dec. 19 at Trillium Villa in Sarnia (four staff cases).
Seniors’ facility outbreaks have been tied to 86 resident and 67 staff cases, and 16 deaths.
No new workplace outbreaks have been declared. Four are currently active, linked to 18 cases.
Meantime, no information is available as to whether any new school cases have been confirmed.
The Lambton Kent District School Board says it will not be reporting case data during the mandated remote learning period.
The St. Clair Catholic District School Board, meantime, has not updated its online COVID-19 page since before the holidays.
One school outbreak declaration remains active, located at Confederation Central School, according to the health unit.
At least 75,516 people had been tested in the county as of Jan. 2, the most recent figures available.
The region’s test per cent positivity rate was 6.8 per cent that week, a jump from the 3.30 seen the week before and the 0.86 seen during the week of Dec. 6.
The health unit says 4,221 people were tested between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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