Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Vaccinations and testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) added 23 more COVID-19 cases, while the number of recoveries increased by 13 on Thursday.
The total number of COVID-19 cases reported by the Middlesex London Health Unit is increasing for another day in a row with 38 new cases, 16 recoveries and no new deaths Friday.
In total the region has seen 13,069, of which 12,685 are recovered, 152 cases are active and 232 people have died.
The most recent death was recorded on Saturday and involved a woman in her 60s who was not associated with a long-term care or retirement home.
Of all the cases reported since July 9, the health unit says 62.6 per cent involved people who were entirely unvaccinated, 21.7 per cent were among the partially vaccinated, 13.7 per cent involved people who were fully vaccinated and 1.9 per cent involved people who were not yet protected by vaccination (i.e. became infected less than 14 days after receiving their first dose of vaccine).
The number of confirmed variant of concern cases increased by four to 3,686.
The breakdown of known variant cases is as follows:
- 3,383 cases of the Alpha variant
- 174 cases of the Delta variant
- 123 cases of the Gamma variant
- two cases of the Beta variant
- one case of the Kappa variant
- one case of the Zeta variant
There are also two cases listed using the old code numbers, one described as B.1.617 and another listed as B.1.617.3.
A total of 11,817 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in London since the pandemic began, while 384 have been in Middlesex Centre and 339 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 (LHSC) says it is caring for eight inpatients with COVID-19, the same as Thursday, 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 patients.
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 declared an outbreak on the first floor of Grand Wood Park retirement home on Aug. 13 over.
An outbreak tied to Lost Love Social House in downtown London reported on Wednesday, Aug. 18 now involves at least eight cases, according to the health unit.
An outbreak tied to Delilah’s in downtown London first reported Aug. 15 is also ongoing. The health unit now says there are a total of 22 primary cases and four secondary cases associated with that outbreak.
As well, there is one confirmed case at Kilworth Children’s Centre’s summer camp school-age program day camp in Komoka and one case at Simply Kids Childcare summer day camp in London. Neither involves outbreaks. There are also two cases at Total Package Hockey Day Camp.
Vaccinations and testing
The MLHU has resumed administering vaccinations for 11-year-olds turning 12 by the end of this year effective Wednesday.
According to the most recent vaccine data from the MLHU, as of the end of day Aug. 14, 82 per cent of residents 12 and older have had at least one dose and 72.6 per cent are fully vaccinated.
According to the MLHU, since July 8, all deaths reported in the region were among people who were entirely unvaccinated.
Only one fully vaccinated individual has been hospitalized since that time, accounting for 7.14 per cent of hospitalizations.
Of all cases reported since July 9, only 13.7 per cent (or 51 of 384 cases) involved 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 1.8 per cent for the week of Aug. 8, up from 1.3 per cent for the week of Aug. 1.
Ontario
Ontario is reporting 650 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, the largest one-day increase since June 6 when it was at 663. The provincial case total now stands at 558,101.
Of the 650 new cases recorded, the data showed 426 were unvaccinated people, 64 were partially vaccinated people, 103 were fully vaccinated people and for 57 people the vaccination status was unknown.
According to Friday’s report, 136 cases were recorded in Toronto, 113 in Peel Region, 63 in York Region, 58 in Windsor-Essex and 55 in Hamilton.
All other local public health units reported fewer than 50 new cases in the provincial report.
The death toll in the province has risen to 9,450 as two more deaths were recorded.
There are more than 9.7 million people fully immunized with two doses, which is 74.4 per cent of the eligible (12-plus) population. First dose coverage stands at 82 per cent.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health reported three cases on Friday and three recoveries for a total of 4,035 cases with 23 active, 3,928 recoveries and 84 deaths.
Of the 23 active cases, eight are in St. Thomas and three each are in Woodstock and Aylmer. Per-municipality case counts can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
Two people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to SWPH.
The number of variant of concern cases has increased by one to 951, with 769 of those listed as the Alpha variant, 127 the Delta (an increase of eight) and 55 the Beta (an increase of two).
There are no active institutional outbreaks reported in the region.
The region’s test positivity rate was 1.9 for the week of Aug. 8, up from 1.4 per cent for the week of Aug. 1.
SWPH has expanded access to COVID-19 vaccines to all children who turn 12 in 2021.
As of Aug. 17, SWPH says 80.6 per cent of its residents aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 71.6 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.
On Friday, Southwestern Public Health announced the COVID-19 Mass Immunization Clinic in St. Thomas will be scaled back in size and moved to the health unit’s 1230 Talbot St. location.
The Memorial Arena location will administer its final vaccine on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 10 and the 1230 Talbot St. location will open the morning of Monday, Sept. 13.
Since its March launch, more than 94,000 doses of vaccine have been administered at Memorial Arena.
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.
Sarnia and Lambton
Lambton Public Health reported two COVID-19 cases on Friday and no new recoveries for a total of 3,664 cases with 19 active, 3,577 recoveries and 68 deaths.
The most recent death, involving someone in their 70s, was reported on July 26.
LPH says the update on the number of variant of concern cases has been delayed but as of Wednesday, it stood at 690.
According to Bluewater Health, there are no patients hospitalized with COVID-19, a decrease from one on Wednesday.
Lambton Public Health is not reporting any active outbreaks in the region.
The region’s test positivity rate was 1.29 per cent for the week of Aug. 8, up from was 0.34 per cent for the week of Aug. 1.
As of Thursday, 76.6 per cent of residents 12 and older have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine while 70.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.
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.
Huron and Perth
Huron Perth Public Health reported eight cases and six recoveries on Friday, for a total of 1,993 cases with 16 active, 1,920 recoveries, and 57 deaths.
The number of cases confirmed to involve a variant of concern stayed at 371.
Of the 16 active cases, seven are in North Perth and four are in Stratford. 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 is 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 are two confirmed COVID-19 cases involving a health-care worker, according to HPPH.
The region’s test positivity rate was 1.8 per cent for the week of Aug. 8, up from 1.1 per cent for the week of Aug. 1.
HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Monday, 79.0 per cent of residents age 12 and older have had at least one dose while 71.3 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.
—With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues
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