COVID-19: Middlesex-London Health Unit reports 17 cases

Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Vaccinations and testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) added 17 more COVID-19 cases and 12 recoveries to close out the workweek on Friday.

That brings the total number of cases to 12,916 with 83 active cases, 12,602 recoveries and 231 deaths.

The most recent deaths were reported July 30, involving a man in his 50s and a man in his 60s.

Of all the cases reported since July 1, the health unit says 65.69 per cent involved people who were entirely unvaccinated, while 8.5 per cent involved people who were fully vaccinated.

The number of confirmed variant of concern cases is unchanged from Thursday as 3,663.

The breakdown of known variant cases is as follows:

• 3,381 cases of the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), first identified in the U.K.
• 156 cases of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, first identified in India
• 120 cases of the Gamma (P.1) variant, first identified in Brazil
• two cases of the Beta (B.1.351) variant, first identified in South Africa
• one case of the Kappa (B.1.617.1) variant, first identified in India
• one 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 11,673 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in London since the pandemic began, while 382 have been in Middlesex Centre and 336 in Strathroy-Caradoc.

Further information can be found on the health unit’s summary of COVID-19 cases in Middlesex-London.

Hospitalizations

The London Health Sciences Centre says it is caring for six inpatients with COVID-19, with five or fewer of those patients in the intensive care unit.

In an effort to protect the privacy of patients, LHSC only provides specific numbers when there are more than five.

Fewer than five LHSC employees have tested positive for COVID-19.

At St. Joseph’s Health Care London, the organization is reporting one case involving a patient or resident at Parkwood Institute’s Mental Health Care Building. It is not associated with an outbreak.

Institutional outbreaks

The MLHU says an outbreak declared July 30 at Pond Mills Children’s Centre is ongoing. The health unit says there is currently one case associated with the child-care centre.

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Vaccinations and testing

Among residents age 12 and older, 81.4 per cent have had at least one dose of vaccine, while 69.7 per cent are fully vaccinated.

According to the MLHU, all deaths reported in the region since July 1 involved people who were entirely unvaccinated.

Only one fully vaccinated individual has been hospitalized since July 1, or 7.69 per cent of all hospitalizations since July 1.

Of all cases reported since July 1, 8.5 per cent (or 26 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 1.3 per cent for the week of Aug. 1, down from 1.4 per cent for the week of July 25.

Ontario

For the second day in a row, Ontario is reporting over 500 cases, with 510 recorded on Friday for a provincial total of 554,472.

According to Friday’s report, 129 cases were recorded in Toronto, 61 in Peel Region, 51 in Hamilton, 41 in Windsor-Essex and 33 in York Region. All other health units reported 25 or fewer cases.

Of the 510 cases, 368 were among people who were unvaccinated, 57 among partially vaccinated individuals and 85 cases among people who were fully vaccinated.

Among all Ontario residents age 12 and older, 72.81 per cent are fully immunized.

Elgin and Oxford

Southwestern Public Health reported six COVID-19 cases on Friday and five recoveries for a total of 4,013 cases with 27 active, 3,902 recoveries and 84 deaths.

Of the 27 active cases, nine are in Woodstock and seven are in St. Thomas. Per-municipality case counts can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.

No one is currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to SWPH.

The number of variant of concern cases climbed by one to 924, with 766 of those listed as the Alpha variant, 106 the Delta (an increase of one) and 52 the Beta.

There are no active institutional outbreaks reported in the region.

The region’s test positivity rate was 1.4 per cent for the week of Aug. 1, unchanged from the week of July 25.

As of Aug. 11, SWPH says 79.1 per cent of its residents aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 68.1 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.

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Huron and Perth

Global News is awaiting Friday’s COVID-19 case data from Huron Perth Public Health.

On Thursday, HPPH recorded two COVID-19 cases and three recoveries for a total of 1,963 cases with 15 active, 1,891 resolved and 57 deaths.

The number of cases confirmed to involve a variant of concern was unchanged at 363.

Of the 15 active cases, 13 are in North Perth. Case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.

No one was listed as hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday.

There was one active community outbreak, but HPPH has not provided any details about it. The health unit says it only discloses details of non-institutional outbreaks “if contact tracing cannot be completed and we determine there may be a risk to the public.”

There was also one confirmed COVID-19 case involving a health-care worker, according to HPPH.

The region’s test positivity rate was 1.1 per cent for the week of Aug. 1, up from 0.3 per cent for the week of July 25.

HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Friday, 78.8 per cent of those aged 12 and older have had at least one vaccine dose, while 70.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.

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 vaccines can be found on the province’s website.

Sarnia and Lambton

Lambton Public Health reported three cases on Friday for a total of 3,647 cases with seven active, 3,572 recoveries and 68 deaths.

The most recent death, involving someone in their 70s, was reported on July 26.

The number of confirmed variant of concern cases is unchanged at 689.

According to Bluewater Health, there is currently one patient hospitalized with COVID-19.

Lambton Public Health is not reporting any active outbreaks in the region.

The region’s test positivity rate was 0.34 per cent for the week of Aug. 1, down from 0.82 per cent for the week of July 25.

LPH said Friday that due to a delay in reporting, its vaccination data update is being “postponed.”  Among those 12 and older, LPH says 76.4 per cent have had at least one dose while 69.5 per cent are fully vaccinated as of Thursday.

Those 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’ Jessica Patton