Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Schools – Vaccinations and Testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 102 new coronavirus cases on Monday.
This marks the sixth day in a row the London and Middlesex region has recorded a single-day COVID-19 case jump in the triple digits.
The region’s pandemic case tally is at 8,492, with 7,108 resolved cases, marking an increase of 113 from the previous day. At least 190 deaths have been reported, most recently April 3.
At least 1,194 cases were active in London-Middlesex as of Monday, the health unit said.
According to the most recent data available, the local test positivity rate stood at 5.9 per cent during the week of March 28, based on 10,313 tests, about the same as the provincial rate. The figure is up from 3.2 a week earlier (9,587 tests) and 1.6 two weeks previous (9,343 tests).
At least 778 of the region’s cases have screened positive for one or more spike gene mutations consistent with a variant of concern, an increase of 81 from the day before.
Another 10 have been confirmed through further genomic analysis to be the B.1.1.7 variant, first detected in the U.K. That tally is up one from the day before.
According to the health unit, people under 30 account for roughly 70 per cent of all cases that have screened variant-positive in the region so far during the pandemic.
At least 7,522 cases have been confirmed in the city of London since the pandemic began, while 302 have been in Middlesex Centre.
Elsewhere, 257 cases have been in Strathroy-Caradoc, 107 in Thames Centre, 60 in Lucan Biddulph, 51 in Southwest Middlesex, 49 in North Middlesex, 14 in Adelaide Metcalfe and two in Newbury.
At least 128 cases have pending location information.
Hospitalizations
Forty-eight COVID-19 inpatients were listed as being in the care of London Health Sciences Centre as of Monday morning, up from 31 on Friday, with 18 in critical or intensive care. However, the numbers jumped by Monday afternoon.
That number has climbed from 48 to 53 COVID-19 inpatients, 20 of which are in critical care,” LHSC’s chief medical officer Dr. Adam Dukelow said at roughly 2 p.m. Monday.
“We anticipate that we will continue to see hospitalizations rise over the course of this next week.”
Dukelow added that only seven of the inpatients were transfers from outside of Middlesex-London region. As well, the average age of local patients admitted to hospital over the last week was 54.
Active staff cases number eight, the organization reported, unchanged from the day before.
St. Joseph’s Health Care London listed no COVID-19 patients in the care of St. Joseph’s Hospital.
At least 29 cases are active within the organization, however, with eight patient and 14 staff cases linked to an outbreak at Parkwood Institute’s Mental Health Care Building, and seven that are not outbreak-related. Their data was last updated on April 6.
Outbreaks
No new institutional outbreaks have been declared and none are resolved.
As of Monday, two institutional outbreaks are listed active in the region, both at Parkwood Institute’s Mental Health Care Building.
One was declared March 30 in its G5 unit, while one was declared April 3 in G2 and H2.
St. Joseph’s Health Care London says the Parkwood outbreaks are linked to at least eight patient cases and 14 staff cases.
Elsewhere, a non-institutional outbreak remains active at the city’s jail. As of April 8, provincial data shows there were six active cases among inmates.
Outbreaks are also active at eight separate Western University student residences. Details are below.
Schools
At least 21 local school-linked cases are considered active. A full list can be found on the MLHU website. Outbreaks are listed as active involving six local schools:
- East Carling Public School
- Holy Rosary Catholic School
- Northridge Public School
- Riverbend Academy
- Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School
- St. Anne’s Catholic School
The health unit says at least 336 cases have been reported at local elementary and secondary schools during the pandemic.
An additional 37 cases have been reported at child care and early years settings. Five cases were active Monday at three facilities, according to the health unit.
Three are associated with Kidorable Child Care Centre, where an outbreak has been declared, while one case each is associated with Stoneybrook Early Childhood Learning Centre, London Bridge and Westminster Children’s Centre.
At Western University, eight outbreaks are currently active at residences, declared:
- April 8 at King’s Common (King’s University College)
- April 8 at Perth Hall
- April 4 at Essex Hall
- April 2 at Delaware Hall
- March 30 at Elgin Hall
- March 31 at Medway-Sydenham Hall
- March 26 at Saugeen-Maitland Hall
- March 25 at Ontario Hall
Updated case numbers were not immediately available for the eight outbreaks. The health unit said it will release that information on Monday.
Vaccinations and testing
The MLHU says 107,926 vaccine doses have been administered in the region as of the end of day April 11.
Bookings for vaccinations will expand this week for people turning 60 this year and older, beginning Tuesday morning.
More information can be found on the MLHU’s website.
Meantime, people aged 55 and older can still be vaccinated through local pharmacies.
The region’s two main assessment centres, at Carling Heights and Oakridge Arena, remain open and operating by appointment.
According to the health unit, roughly 5.9 per cent of tests were coming back positive as of the week of March 28, up from 3.2 per cent the week before and 1.6 the week before that.
Ontario
Ontario is reporting 4,401 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 391,009.
Monday’s case count is the second highest single-day increase to date, only slightly lower than Sunday’s which saw a record breaking 4,456 new cases.
The death toll in the province has risen to 7,567 as 15 more deaths were recorded.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health reported 65 new cases and one death on Monday, bringing the total case count to 3,025 up from 2,960 on Friday.
SWPH reported an additional 23 recoveries, bringing the total to 2,791.
The death reported Monday is the first in the region since March 29 and involves a man in his 50s, from St. Thomas. The death is not associated with an institutional outbreak, SWPH says.
The health unit says 164 cases are currently active in the region, with 48 in Woodstock, 41 in St. Thomas, and 15 in Aylmer.
The number of cases that have screened positive for a spike gene mutation common to a coronavirus variant has jumped by 22 over the weekend.
Of the 140 cases that have screened positive, six have been confirmed through further genomic analysis to involve the B.1.1.7 variant, first detected in the U.K., the health unit says.
Five people are currently hospitalized, including two who are in intensive care.
While the province has directed hospitals, except for those in northern Ontario, to start ramping down elective surgeries and non-urgent procedures to ensure they have the capacity to treat more COVID-19 patients, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) stressed that patients should not assume their surgeries are cancelled.
STEGH says patients scheduled to have a “surgical, ambulatory or a diagnostic test/procedure should plan to attend their scheduled visit unless they receive direct notification from the Hospital.”
SWPH says a total of 16,915 vaccine doses have been administered.
Eligible residents are asked to visit the area’s vaccine booking site or call 226-289-3560 to book an appointment. Eligibility information can be found on the health unit website.
Select pharmacies are immunizing people 50 and older with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Appointments should be made directly with a participating pharmacy.
According to the province, 10 schools in the region have active COVID-19 cases as of Monday morning, half of which are in Woodstock.
Full school case lists can also be found on the websites of the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board.
Two institutional outbreaks are currently active at Metcalfe Gardens (two staff cases) and Caressant Care Bonnie Place (one resident case, one staff case), both in St. Thomas.
The health unit says a total of 655 cases have been reported in Woodstock during the pandemic, while 511 have been in St. Thomas, 483 in Aylmer, 359 in Tillsonburg, 211 in Norwich, 171 in Bayham, 145 in Ingersoll, 122 in East Zorra-Tavistock, and 72 or fewer elsewhere.
According to the most recently available data, the region’s test positivity rate stood at 2.2 per cent as of the week of March 28, the same as the week before, but up from 1.8 the week before that.
Huron and Perth
Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) is reporting 20 new cases Monday for a total of 1,480 cases, up from 1,460 on Saturday. HPPH does not provide updates on Sundays.
Seven more cases have resolved, bringing that tally to 1,380. Fifty-one deaths have been reported, most recently April 6.
At least 49 cases are active in the region, with 16 in Stratford alone, while at least one person is in hospital.
The number of cases in the region that have screened positive for a spike gene mutation common to a coronavirus variant stands at 32, up from 25 on Saturday.
According to the health unit, roughly 29,496 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Huron-Perth as of April 9, the most recent figures available. The tally includes first and second doses.
Those looking to book a vaccination appointment are asked to do so via the local booking system or by calling 1-833-753-2098. More information on who is currently eligible can be found on the health unit’s website.
One outbreak is active in the region, located at an unnamed workplace, according to Huron Perth Public Health.
Two schools in the region have active cases, according to the province, with one case each at St. Mary’s in Goderich and at Jeanne Sauvé Catholic Elementary School in Stratford.
Of the total cases in the region, 360 have been in North Perth, 138 in Perth East, 103 in Huron East, 109 in South Huron and 54 or fewer in all other towns.
The region’s test positivity rate stood at 0.9 per cent as of the week of March 28, up from 0.4 the week earlier, the most recent data available.
Sarnia and Lambton
Lambton Public Health reported 11 new COVID-19 cases, 19 recoveries, and one death on Monday.
This brings the region’s pandemic case tally to 3,050, of which 2,870 have resolved. The total number of deaths now stands at 53.
Bluewater Health is reporting that 10 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed COVID-19 as of Monday.
The number of variant of concern cases jumped to 217 on Monday from 175 on Friday, as Lambton Public Health does not update detailed information on weekends.
Information on vaccination can be found on the health unit’s website. Those eligible to for a vaccine are asked to visit the health unit’s vaccine webpage for details on how to book an appointment, or to call 519-383-8331.
Information on vaccination at pharmacies can be found here.
Four outbreaks are currently active in the region, involving one long-term care home facility, one workplace, and two schools.
The long-term care outbreak is at Afton Park Place in Sarnia, declared March 19, and involving two cases among residents or patients and three among staff or caregivers.
A previous outbreak at Rosewood Retirement Village in Sarnia involving 19 residents or patients and two staff members or caregivers was declared over on Sunday.
Seven cases are associated with the unidentified workplace outbreak declared April 7. Three previous workplace outbreaks were declared over on Friday and Saturday involving a total of 14 cases.
The school outbreaks were both declared April 1 and involve three cases at École élémentaire Les Rapides and two cases at London Road Elementary School.
Information on school cases in general can be found on the Lambton-Kent District School Board and St. Clair Catholic District School Board websites.
According to the most recent data available, the health unit says the county’s test positivity rate was 2.4 per cent the week of March 28, down from 3.3 the week before and 3.7 the week before that.
— With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues, Matthew Trevithick, Sawyer Bogdan and Kelly Wang as well as The Canadian Press.
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