Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Schools – Vaccinations and Testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
The Middlesex-London Health Unit reported 16 new COVID-19 cases and 38 recoveries on Sunday.
This marks the tenth day in a row the region has seen fewer than 40 new cases, a stretch not seen since mid-March.
It brings the region’s pandemic case total to 12,350, of which 11,997 have resolved.
At least 221 virus-related deaths have been reported during the pandemic, most recently on Saturday involving a man in his 80s.
At least 132 cases are active in the region, the health unit says.
So far this month, 103 cases and two deaths have been reported. At least 211 cases were reported in the first three days of May, and 365 the first three of April.
The rolling seven-day case average for London-Middlesex (May 28-June 3) is 23, compared to 38 the seven days previous. A month ago (April 27-May 3), the average was 91.
Of the 16 new cases reported Sunday, all are from London.
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Cases are spread evenly throughout the age brackets tracked by the health unit.
The number of variant cases in the region stands at 3,141, an increase of 17 from the day before.
Health unit data shows variants accounted for roughly 80 per cent of all cases reported in the region during the month of May.
The B.1.1.7 variant, or Alpha, first identified in the U.K., accounts for the vast majority of them — 3,057.
At least 78 cases have been confirmed to involve the P.1 variant, or Gamma, first identified in Brazil. (At the same time, one case, the region’s first, has been confirmed to involve the P.2 variant — the other lineage identified in Brazil in October.)
Meanwhile, three cases have been confirmed to involve the B.1.617 variant, or Delta, first identified in India. (Of those, one has been identified as being the sub-lineage B.1.617.1, and another the sub-lineage B.1.617.2).
And two cases have been confirmed to involve the B.1.351 variant, or Beta, first identified in South Africa, the health unit says.
At least 357 other cases were found to have a spike protein mutation consistent with one or more coronavirus variants. An undetermined number are currently under investigation.
A total of 11,172 cases have been confirmed in London since the pandemic began, while 360 have been in Middlesex Centre.
Elsewhere, 331 cases have been in Strathroy-Caradoc, 155 in Thames Centre, 72 in Lucan Biddulph, 58 in North Middlesex, 54 in Southwest Middlesex, 15 in Adelaide Metcalfe and six in Newbury. At least 127 cases have pending location information.
Hospitalizations
At least 30 COVID-19 patients were listed as being in the care of London Health Sciences Centre on Friday. Nine were in ICU.
LHSC says fewer than five COVID-19 patients were in acute care, and fewer than five in the ICU, are from out of region. Fewer than five staff are currently positive with COVID-19.
Meanwhile, at St. Joseph’s Health Care London, no COVID-19 patients were reported in their care at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Two staff cases are active within SJHCL, the same as the day before.
At least 651 people have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in London-Middlesex during the pandemic, including 111 who have needed intensive care, the health unit says.
The province reported Thursday that it would end several emergency orders that had been aimed at preserving hospital capacity during the height of the third wave.
Outbreaks
There are zero active institutional outbreaks as of Sunday, according to the health unit.
The outbreak at Kensington Village Retirement’s Canterbury area has been declared over.
At least 851 cases and 109 deaths have been reported during the pandemic at local long-term care and retirement homes, health unit data shows.
In the city’s south end, an outbreak at the city’s jail remains active. One inmate case was reported active there as of Wednesday.
The outbreak at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, declared on Jan. 18, has been linked to cases involving at least 62 inmates and 43 staff.
Schools
No new school-related cases have been reported and none are active.
The Thames Valley District School Board announced Thursday that it will go ahead with virtual graduation ceremonies later this month for Grade 8 and 12 students.
The board, the statement read, is exploring the possibility of holding additional in-person outdoor recognitions.
This comes after the province said Wednesday that students would remain in remote learning for the rest of the school year.
In the local child care sector, one case is active involving Kidorable Child Care Centre – Jim Ashton.
An outbreak remains active at Simply Kids. It was declared on May 12.
In post-secondary, no outbreaks are currently active.
Both Fanshawe College and Western University have announced that students planning on living in residence will be required to be vaccinated ahead of time.
Vaccinations and Testing
First doses of vaccine are available to anyone 12 and older, with youth eligible only for the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.
Eligible residents are asked to visit the local vaccine booking website or call 226-289-3560 to book an appointment at one of the region’s four vaccination clinics. Online appointments are encouraged.
A number of local pharmacies are also offering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
More than 282,178 people have gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the London-Middlesex region as of May 29, according to the health unit, or about 60 per cent of all adults over 18.
Earlier second dose rebookings for people 80 and older will begin on Monday, with second dose bookings for people 70 and older beginning June 10.
Bookings will be done primarily through the main vaccination website but also by phone, health officials said.
Provincial officials said this week that the government is aiming to accelerate the second-dose schedule amid growing concern about the more infectious Delta variant, first detected in India. Ontario has been administering COVID-19 shots four months apart with some exceptions.
In other areas of the province, earlier second dose bookings for people 80-plus has been underway since earlier this week, and as of Friday, people 70 and older, and people who received Pfizer or Moderna on or before April 18, became eligible to book second doses on Friday through pharmacies and primary care settings.
Those people can also book shots starting Monday through the provincial booking system. MLHU uses its own system in collaboration with Southwestern Public Health.
When it comes to AstraZeneca, people who received a first dose of that vaccine now have the choice to book a second dose of the same vaccine or an mRNA like Pfizer or Moderna.
Second-dose bookings are available at pharmacies for people who received an AstraZeneca vaccine 12 weeks ago.
People can book AstraZeneca second doses by contacting the pharmacy or primary care provider where they received their first shot. Those opting for an mRNA vaccine can schedule through a participating pharmacy offering Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
AstraZeneca recipients can book second shots of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine through the provincial booking system or local health units starting next week, according to the province.
Those looking to be tested for COVID-19 can still do so in a variety of ways.
The region’s main assessment centres, located at Carling Heights and Oakridge Arena, remain open and operating by appointment.
People can also be tested at MyHealth Testing Centre, at certain pharmacies, and — if a student or staff member — at Fanshawe College and Western University.
Ontario
Ontario is reporting 663 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. The provincial total now stands at 536,082.
The death toll in the province has risen to 8,854 as 10 more deaths were recorded.
Meanwhile, 518,860 Ontario residents were reported to have recovered from COVID-19, which is about 97 per cent of known cases. Resolved cases increased by 1,222 from the previous day.
The seven-day average has now reached 791. A month ago, the seven-day average was around 3,200.
Officials have listed breakdown data for the new VOCs (variants of concern) detected so far in the province which consist of the B.1.1.7 (now named by WHO as “Alpha” and was first detected in the United Kingdom), B.1.351 (now named by WHO as “Beta” and was first detected in South Africa), and P.1 (now named by WHO as “Gamma” and was first detected in Brazil).
“Alpha” the B.1.1.7 VOC: 131,991 variant cases, which is up by 868 since the previous day.
“Beta” the B.1.351 VOC: 1,076 variant cases which is up by 41 since the previous day.
“Gamma” the P.1 VOC: 3,740 variant cases which is up by 477 since the previous day.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health does not update COVID-19 cases on the weekend.
As of Friday, the region’s pandemic case total stood at 3,806, of which 3,682 have resolved.
At least 82 virus-related deaths have been reported during the pandemic, most recently on Wednesday.
The health unit says at least 42 cases were active, including 11 in Tillsonburg and nine each in St. Thomas and Woodstock. Two people were hospitalized, neither in the ICU.
The number of variant cases, and cases that have screened positive for a mutation consistent with a variant, stands at 801.
At least 717 have been the B.1.1.7, or Alpha variant, nine have involved the P.1 or Gamma variant, and one has been confirmed to involve the B.1.351 or Beta variant.
At least 74 other cases screened positive for a variant-consistent spike protein mutation. An unspecified number are currently undergoing genomic analysis.
The MLHU, which uses the same booking system as SWPH, said Friday that it would begin such rebookings on Monday, with people 70-plus starting on June 10, however officials with SWPH have not confirmed whether they will be following the same plan.
Certain individuals under 80 have been able to book earlier second doses by phone at 226-289-3560.
People aged 12 and older are eligible to get the shot, with youth able to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Eligible residents are asked to visit the area’s vaccine booking site and are being encouraged to add their names to a same-day vaccination list.
Several pharmacies in the region are also offering Pfizer and Moderna shots. Bookings must be made directly with the pharmacies.
No new school-related cases have been reported and none are active. As well, no new institutional outbreaks have been declared and none are active.
Per-municipality case counts can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
The region’s test positivity rate stood at 2.2 per cent the week of May 23, down from 2.8 the week before.
Huron and Perth
Huron and Perth Public Health does not update COVID-19 cases on the weekend.
As of Friday, the region’s pandemic case total stood at 1,830, of which 1,733 have resolved. At least 57 virus-related deaths have been reported, most recently on May 20.
At least 40 cases were active, including 12 in Huron East. One person was in hospital due to COVID-19.
The number of variant cases, and cases that have screened positive for a mutation consistent with a variant, stood at 282 as of Friday. Twenty-four are active.
At least 153 cases involve the Alpha variant, according to Public Health Ontario, while three involve the Gamma variant, one more than the day before. The remaining cases are likely still under genomic analysis.
Officials with Huron Perth Public Health say people who received an mRNA vaccine who are 70 and older, or who got their first vaccine dose on or before April 18, will be able to book a second dose appointment at a shortened interval starting on Monday.
Currently, people 80 and older are able to book a shortened-interval second dose in Huron-Perth. Certain individuals younger than 80 are also able to book earlier second doses.
The officials said that groups eligible for a shortened second dose interval may also book their appointment through a participating pharmacy.
Information on how to book first and second doses can be found on the health unit’s website. Eligibility for first doses remains 12 and older. Youth are able to get the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.
More than 77,147 Huron County residents have gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, or roughly 63.5 per cent of eligible people.
No change has been reported involving school-related cases. Six remain active, all under the Avon-Maitland District School Board. None are due to school exposure.
No institutional outbreaks are active, however five outbreaks are active involving unnamed workplaces.
Case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit dashboard.
The region’s test positivity rate was 1.8 per cent as of the week of May 23, up slightly from 1.7 the week before.
Sarnia and Lambton
Lambton Public Health reported two new COVID-19 cases along with five recoveries Sunday.
It brings the region’s pandemic case total to 3,523, of which 3,426 have resolved.
At least 61 virus-related deaths have been reported during the pandemic, most recently on Wednesday.
At least 36 cases are active in Lambton, the health unit says.
Bluewater Health reported four COVID-19 patients in their care Sunday, unchanged from the day before.
The region’s variant case count stood at 565 as of Thursday of last week. An updated tally was still not available Sunday due to ongoing network issues at the health unit.
Public Health Ontario data shows 403 cases involve the Alpha variant, while 17 cases have been confirmed to be the Gamma variant. The remaining cases are under genomic sequencing.
People who are 75 and older, or who got their first dose of vaccine on or before March 31, are now eligible to book a second dose vaccination appointment in Lambton, the health unit says.
Residents who also got a first dose of AstraZeneca within that same time period, or who are 75 and older, may also book a second dose with the same vaccine or with Pfizer or Moderna.
Health officials say people will be contacted via email or phone to schedule a second dose. Those 75 and older and not contacted by the end of Friday are being asked to contact 226-254-8222 or contact the health unit via its Contact Us page.
Other certain individuals have been able to book earlier second doses as well.
First doses are continuing for all people aged 12 and older. Eligible residents can book appointments through the health unit’s website, and people with questions can contact the health unit’s call centre at 226-254-8222.
Some pharmacies are also continuing to offer the Pfizer or Moderna shots. Residents are asked to book spots with the pharmacies themselves.
More than 77,597 vaccine doses have been administered in Lambton as of June 2.
The health unit says no outbreaks are currently active in the region.
No information on school-related cases was available. Both of the region’s main school boards have paused public reporting as students continue to learn remotely.
The region’s positivity rate was 1.3 per cent the week of May 23, down from 1.8 per cent a week earlier.
— With files from Matthew Trevithick, Sawyer Bogdan, Gabby Rodrigues, and The Canadian Press
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