Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Schools – Vaccinations and testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
Eight new COVID-19 cases have been reported in London-Middlesex, marking the region’s second day in a row with a single-digit case increase, something that has not occurred since mid-February.
It brings the region’s pandemic case total to 12,361, of which 12,047 have resolved, an increase of 23 from the day before. At least 221 virus-related deaths have been reported, most recently on Saturday.
At least 93 cases are currently active in the region, the health unit says. At least 113 cases have been reported since the start of the month, compared with 594 in the first six days of May.
The rolling seven-day case average for London-Middlesex (June 1 to June 7) is 16, compared with 31 the seven days previous.
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Six of the new confirmed cases are from London, while two are from elsewhere in Middlesex County.
One case involves someone 19 or younger, two are in their 20s, one is in their 30s, two are in their 40s and one each are in their 50s and 70s.
Four cases have pending or undetermined exposure source data, while three are listed as being due to close contact and one has no known link.
The number of variant cases in the region stands at 3,156. The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), first identified in the U.K., accounts for the vast majority of them — 3,069.
At least 81 cases have been confirmed to involve the Gamma variant (P.1), first identified in Brazil. One case has also been confirmed to involve the Zeta, or P.2 variant — the other lineage identified in Brazil in October 2020.
Meanwhile, three cases have been confirmed to involve the B.1.617 variant, first identified in India. One is listed as being the Delta sub-lineage (B.1.617.2) and one the Kappa sub-lineage (B.1.617.1).
Two cases have been confirmed to involve the Beta variant (B.1.351), first identified in South Africa.
At least 352 other cases were found to have a spike protein mutation consistent with one or more coronavirus variants. An undetermined number are currently under investigation.
Health unit data shows variants accounted for roughly 80 per cent of all cases reported in the region during the month of May.
“We expected this virus to be seasonal; we’ve definitely seen that. If you look around the world, you’ve seen a similar pattern in most places — the same season that is the influenza season has generated a COVID season, and places have generally seen lower rates in their summer season,” Dr. Chris Mackie, the region’s medical officer of health, said Monday.
“What that means is that while a fourth wave may be coming, we don’t expect that to happen before the fall. I believe we will continue to see case counts that are relatively low over the summer, particularly with the vaccine campaign coming on, on top of the seasonality of the virus.”
A total of 11,181 cases have been confirmed in London since the pandemic began, while 360 have been in Middlesex Centre.
Elsewhere, 333 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 20 COVID-19 patients were listed as being in the care of London Health Sciences Centre on Tuesday, two fewer than the day before.
At least nine are in intensive care units (ICU), unchanged from the previous report.
LHSC says fewer than five patients in acute care, and fewer than five patients in ICU, are from out of region. Fewer than five staff members are currently positive with COVID-19.
“We are seeing the case counts continuing to trend down within our hospital and across the province, where the lowest number of new cases presenting in nearly six months has been reported,” Carol Young-Ritchie, LHSC’s executive vice-president, chief clinical officer and chief nursing officer, said during Monday’s briefing.
“It’s no doubt been a long road, one that we’re still on. And we are optimistic that if we continue to stay the course, the third wave will soon come to an end.”
Young-Ritchie says the organization has begun to gradually return staff who had been redeployed to help with the third wave back to their home units, and have been able to increase surgical bed capacity.
“I’m pleased to also share, over the course of the last week, we have introduced changes to our visitor policy, which allow increased designated care partner presence in the hospital for both pediatrics and adult patients,” she said.
“We are happy to have been able to safely take this first step to increase our visiting policy. I know how difficult it is for patients and families who have had stricter limitations in place.”
At St. Joseph’s Health Care London, meanwhile, no COVID-19 patients were reported in their care at St. Joseph’s Hospital. No staff cases are active within SJHCL.
A total of 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.
Institutional outbreaks
No new institutional outbreaks have been declared and none are currently active, the health unit says.
Health unit data shows that 851 cases and 109 deaths have been reported during the pandemic at local long-term care and retirement homes.
In the city’s south end, an outbreak at the city’s jail remains active. One inmate case was reported active there as of Thursday, the most recent data available.
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 members.
Schools
No new school-related cases have been reported and none are currently active.
No outbreaks are currently active that are linked to schools in the London-Middlesex region.
The health unit says at least 354 cases have been linked to local schools during the pandemic.
The Thames Valley District School Board says it will go ahead with virtual graduation ceremonies this month for Grade 9 and 12 students, and is looking into the possibility of holding additional in-person outdoor recognitions, pending details from the province.
Students are set to remain in remote learning until the end of the school year.
In the local child-care sector, meanwhile, no active cases have been reported. No outbreaks are active.
Vaccinations and testing
A one-day walk-in vaccination clinic is scheduled to be held later this week at the Citi Plaza offices of the health unit.
The clinic, which will run Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., is aimed at getting first doses to members of the community who are unhoused, under-housed or aren’t able to get to mass vaccination clinics.
It’s not clear how many vaccinations will be available at the clinic. The health unit says a limited number of doses will be available.
Also starting Thursday, people 70 and older, and people who received their first vaccine before April 18, will be able to re-book an earlier second dose.
The date-based eligibility applies to people of any age, regardless of where they received their first dose, the health unit says.
Currently, people 80-plus are able to re-book an earlier second dose. Certain individuals under 80 are also eligible. Ontario has also been administering COVID-19 shots four months apart with some exceptions.
“Anyone who used the same email address or cell phone number to book a first dose appointment for more than one person will need to call the Appointment Booking Phone Line at 226-289-3560 to re-book a new second dose appointment,” health officials said Monday.
“Second dose appointments cannot be re-booked online when the same contact information was used to book multiple appointments.”
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. Online appointments are encouraged. Four mass vaccination clinics are currently operational in the region.
A number of local pharmacies are also offering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Local health officials say the region sees between 24,000 and 25,000 doses of Pfizer arrive every week.
“The really inconsistent numbers are the Moderna numbers. Some weeks we might have 5,000 or 10,000 allocated,” Mackie said.
“There is an overall decrease in Pfizer’s allocation to Canada that comes in July. A small amount. So our total will go, at that point, from about 25,000 per week … to 24,000, something in that range.”
With AstraZeneca, first doses of the shot remain paused by the province, however, second doses with the vaccine are continuing. People whose first doses were AstraZeneca can also choose Pfizer or Moderna as their followup.
The health unit says those who got AstraZeneca in another setting or region and need to book a second dose in the next four weeks can do so through the aforementioned online booking portal.
That includes people who received AstraZeneca first and would like an mRNA as their second dose, and those who got their first dose outside of London-Middlesex or Ontario, they said.
People who want their second dose to be AstraZeneca are asked to contact the pharmacy or primary care setting where they got their initial shot.
First doses of the shot were paused over concerns of its potential link to a rare but serious blood clotting syndrome known as vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT).
Meanwhile, testing continues at several locations in the region.
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 469 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday and 18 more deaths linked to the virus.
It’s the lowest daily infections total for Ontario since Sept. 26, when the province reported 435 new cases.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 182 of Tuesday’s cases are in Toronto, 76 are in Peel Region and 40 are in the Porcupine Health Unit Region.
The Ministry of Health says 621 people are hospitalized with the novel coronavirus — 481 in intensive care and 305 on a ventilator.
Tuesday’s data is based on nearly 17,600 completed tests.
Ontario says 158,209 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the province Monday, for a total of more than 10.2 million doses so far.
Elgin and Oxford
One death and two new COVID-19 cases have been reported.
The update brings the region’s pandemic case total to 3,816, of which 3,709 have resolved, an increase of seven from the day before.
A total of 83 virus-related deaths have been reported so far during the pandemic. The most recent death involved a woman in her 70s from Oxford County.
At least 24 cases are active in the region, the health unit says, including 10 in Woodstock and four in St. Thomas. Two people are hospitalized, neither in the ICU.
No updated numbers on variant cases were available Tuesday. The health unit says it’s reviewing its data to ensure it is accurate following a change in lab processes.
As of Monday, the total figure stood at 807 — 721 involving the Alpha variant and 10 the Gamma variant, and one was confirmed to involve the Beta variant.
Seventy-five other cases screened positive for a variant-consistent spike protein mutation. An unspecified number were currently undergoing genomic analysis.
People 80 and older, or born in 1941 or earlier, are currently eligible to rebook their second dose for an earlier date.
Earlier second dose appointments are expected to open up to people 70 and older on June 14, the health unit says, noting the date may be earlier.
People 80 and older can reschedule their second appointment via the online booking portal, or by phone at 1-800-922-0096 ext. 9.
Other certain individuals under 80 are also able to book earlier second doses by phone at 226-289-3560.
For first doses, people aged 12 and older are eligible, with youth able to get the Pfizer-BioNTech shot.
Eligible residents looking for a first dose 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. Updated numbers are expected this week.
Huron and Perth
Three new COVID-19 cases have been reported.
They bring the region’s pandemic case total to 1,841, of which 1,760 have resolved, an increase of 10 from the day before. Fifty-seven virus-related deaths have been reported so far, most recently on May 20.
The health unit says 31 cases are currently active in the region, including eight in Huron East. Two people are currently hospitalized.
The number of variant cases and cases that have screened positive for a mutation consistent with a variant stands at 288. At least 12 are active.
At least 153 cases involve the Alpha variant, according to Public Health Ontario, while four involve the Gamma variant. 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, can now book a second dose appointment at a shortened interval.
Certain individuals younger than 80 are also able to book earlier second doses.
Groups eligible for a shortened second dose interval may also book their appointment through a participating pharmacy, the health unit said.
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 81,246 Huron County residents have gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, or roughly 66.9 per cent of eligible people.
One institutional outbreak is currently active involving Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East, tied to two staff cases. Elsewhere, four outbreaks are also active at unnamed workplaces in the region.
Meanwhile, seven school-related cases are currently active, one fewer than Friday. Active cases can be found on the websites of the Avon-Maitland District School Board and Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board.
None are due to school exposure.
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. Updated numbers are expected this week.
Sarnia and Lambton
For the first time since early February, no new COVID-19 cases were reported in Lambton County.
The region’s pandemic case tally stands at 3,526, a decrease of two from the day before. Health officials say two previously confirmed cases were reassigned to a different health unit.
At least 3,438 cases have resolved, eight more than the day before. Sixty-one virus-related deaths have been reported, most recently on Wednesday.
The health unit says 27 cases are active in the region. Bluewater Health reports five people are in its care with COVID-19, the same as the day before.
The region’s variant case count stood at 565 as of May 27. An updated tally was still not available Tuesday due to ongoing network issues at the health unit.
Public Health Ontario data shows 405 cases involve the Alpha variant, while 17 cases have been confirmed to be the Gamma variant. The remaining cases are believe to be under genomic sequencing.
People who are 70 and older, or who received their first dose of vaccine on or before April 18, are now eligible to book a second dose appointment, Lambton health officials say.
Residents who also got a first dose of AstraZeneca within that same time period, or who are 70 and older, may also book a second dose with the same vaccine or with Pfizer or Moderna.
The health unit says individuals will be contacted via email or by phone to schedule an appointment. Those who are not contacted by the end of the day are asked to contact the health unit at 226-254-8222 or through 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.
No outbreaks are currently active in the region.
No information is available on school-related cases. The region’s main school boards have paused public reporting during remote learning.
The region’s positivity rate was 1.3 per cent the week of May 23, down from 1.8 per cent a week earlier. Updated numbers are expected later this week.
— With files from The Canadian Press
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