Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Vaccinations and testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
Over the holiday long weekend, the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported a total of 29 cases of COVID-19, though the total number of confirmed cases climbed by 30 to 12,806.
The health unit reported no cases on Tuesday — the first report of no cases since Sept. 5, 2020 — after recording six on Monday, 11 on Sunday, and 12 on Saturday.
“Zero new cases — very happy to say that again and again. It’s definitely an accomplishment. Part of that is because of low testing volume over the long weekend, there’s no doubt, but the primary achievement there is really on the vaccine campaign,” said Dr. Chris Mackie, medical officer of health.
Mayor Ed Holder added that while “we’re allowed to accept good news,” it only reflects a moment in time.
“The big concern that I have is what will come beyond this. And I fear the fourth wave, the wave of the unvaccinated.”
No deaths were reported. The number of deaths stands at 231, with the most recent reported on Friday. Two men, one in his 50s and the other in his 60s, died.
Since Friday, the health unit has recorded 22 recoveries, for a total of 12,512. There are currently at least 63 active cases.
The number of confirmed variant of concern cases climbed by nine to 3,621.
The breakdown of known variant cases is as follows:
- 3,380 cases of the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), first identified in the U.K.
- 119 cases of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, first identified in India
- 116 cases of the Gamma (P.1) variant, first identified in Brazil
- 2 cases of the Beta (B.1.351) variant, first identified in South Africa
- 1 case of the Kappa (B.1.617.1) variant, first identified in India
- 1 case of the Zeta (P.2) variant, first identified in Brazil
There is also one case listed only as B.1.617 and one case listed as B.1.617.3.
A total of 11,576 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in London since the pandemic began, while 379 have been in Middlesex Centre and 334 in Strathroy-Caradoc.
Further information can be found on the health unit’s Summary of COVID-19 Cases in Middlesex-London page.
Hospitalizations
The London Health Sciences Centre says it is caring for eight inpatients with COVID-19, with five or fewer of those patients in the intensive care unit, as of Tuesday.
In an effort to protect the privacy of patients, LHSC only provides specific numbers when there are more than five.
LHSC is not reporting any patients from outside of the region.
Fewer than five LHSC employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
At St. Joseph’s Health Care London, the organization is reporting no cases involving patients, residents or health-care workers.
Institutional outbreaks
LHSC reported an outbreak at Victoria Hospital’s B7-200 Adult Inpatient Mental Health/PICU unit on Monday, July 26. As of Tuesday, it involves fewer than five cases.
LHSC says it believes that the outbreak is now contained.
Vaccinations and testing
The MLHU released updated vaccination data on Tuesday as of July 31. A total of 664,770 doses had been administered in the region as of the end of July 31.
Of residents aged 12 and older, 80.8 per cent have had at least one dose while 66.9 per cent have received two doses.
Among those 18 and older, the figures climb to 81.0 per cent with one dose and 68.2 per cent fully vaccinated.
According to the MLHU, all deaths reported in the region since June 22 involved people who were entirely unvaccinated.
All hospitalizations involved people who were unvaccinated, not yet protected from vaccination (infection occurred less than 14 days after first dose), or partially vaccinated (infection occurred more than 14 days after first dose but less than 14 days after second dose).
Of all cases reported since June 22, just 5.0 per cent (or 14 cases) involve people who were fully vaccinated.
On the health unit’s website, residents can find information on pop-up clinics, mass vaccination clinics and pharmacies, guidance for anyone vaccinated outside of the province or country, transportation support for those in need, and more.
Anyone looking to be tested for COVID-19 can find information about locations of testing sites on the health unit’s website.
The test positivity rate in the region was 1.0 per cent for the week of July 18, down from 1.1 per cent for the week of July 11.
Ontario
Ontario reported 164 cases on Tuesday, 164 on Monday, 218 on Sunday, and 258 on Saturday.
On Tuesday, 45 cases were recorded in Toronto, 19 in Peel Region, 16 in York Region, 16 in Hamilton, 12 in Halton Region and 10 in Durham Region.
The death toll in the province rose to 9,349 with one death recorded Tuesday.
As for vaccine coverage, 69.8 per cent of residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated while 80.5 per cent have had at least one dose.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health added 13 cases to its tally on Tuesday in its first update since Friday.
The total case count stands at 3,963 with 31 active cases, 3,848 recoveries and 84 deaths.
Of the 31 active cases, 14 are in Woodstock, eight are in St. Thomas and six are in Blandford-Blenheim. Per-municipality case counts can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
No one is currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to SWPH, a decrease of one from Friday.
The number of variant of concern cases increased by 11 to 884, with 766 of those listed as the Alpha variant, 67 the Delta, and 51 the Beta.
There are no active institutional outbreaks reported in the region.
The region’s test positivity rate was 0.4 per cent for the week of July 18, down from 1.1 per cent for the week of July 11.
As of Aug. 2, SWPH says 79.1 per cent of its residents aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 64.6 per cent have had two doses.
Information on where to get vaccinated, vaccine eligibility, and booking and cancelling appointments can be found on the health unit’s website.
People can also add their names on a weekly basis to the health unit’s same-day vaccination list, also known as the”Cancellation List.”
Select pharmacies in the region are also continuing to offer COVID-19 vaccine shots.
Huron and Perth
The total confirmed cases reported by Huron Perth Public Health is 1,944, an increase of five from Friday.
The health unit added two recoveries. There are currently seven active cases.
The number of deaths is unchanged at 57 while the number of cases confirmed to involve a variant of concern is 357, an increase of three.
Five of the cases are in Stratford with one each in South Huron and Perth South. Case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
No one is listed as hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday.
There are no active outbreaks reported in the region.
The region’s test positivity rate was 1.0 per cent for the week of July 18, up from 0.9 per cent for the week of July 11.
HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Tuesday, 77.9 per cent of those aged 12 and older have had at least one vaccine dose, while 67.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Starting this week, HPPH is providing “more options to make it easier for residents to get vaccinated, including walk-ins, evening hours, pop-up locations and a drive-thru clinic.” Further information can be found on the health unit’s website.
Information on pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the province’s website.
Sarnia and Lambton
Lambton Public Health’s total case count sits at 3,639, an increase of one from Friday.
The number of recoveries is now 3,568, an increase of three from Friday.
No new deaths have been reported since last Monday when Lambton Public Health reported one death involving someone in their 70s. The total number of deaths is 68.
Two more variant of concern cases were reported for a total of 681.
According to Bluewater Health, there are currently no patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Lambton Public Health is not reporting any active outbreaks in the region.
The region’s test positivity rate was 0.36 per cent for the week of July 18, up from 0.34 per cent for the week of July 11.
As of Tuesday, 76.3 per cent of adults have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine while 68.4 per cent are fully vaccinated.
LPH says mass vaccination clinics will begin winding down this month and appointments scheduled for after Aug. 10 will be cancelled.
Residents who are able to get vaccinated on short notice are encouraged to sign up for Lambton Public Health’s daily Vaccine Standby List.
Residents can book and re-book COVID-19 vaccine appointments using the health unit’s registration page. People can also call the vaccine call centre at 226-254-8222.
Information on pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines can be found on the province’s website.
— with files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues