Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Camps – Vaccinations and Testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
Twenty-three new COVID-19 cases were reported in London-Middlesex on Wednesday, the health unit reported.
It brings the region’s pandemic case total to 13,217, of which 12,752 have resolved, an increase of 24 from the day before, according to the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU).
At least 233 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported, unchanged from Tuesday when one death was reported.
At least 232 cases are currently active in the region, the health unit says. The locations of the active cases were not available through the health unit’s data dashboard.
The seven-day case average for the London-Middlesex region stands at 29 as of Wednesday, up from 18 the previous seven days, and 7.1 one month ago.
The region has recorded at least 3,748 cases involving a variant of concern during the pandemic, an increase of 29 from Tuesday.
All of the 29 new variant cases involve the Delta variant, according to the health unit.
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The breakdown of known variant cases is as follows:
- 3,385 cases of the Alpha variant
- 233 cases of the Delta variant
- 124 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.
The health unit has recorded an uptick in cases this month, driven in large part by more contagious variants and people who are either unvaccinated or who are partially vaccinated.
According to health unit data, of the cases seen over the last six weeks, only 13.6 per cent (71 cases) have been breakthrough cases involving fully vaccinated individuals.
At least 66 per cent of cases (346) have involved people who haven’t gotten a shot at all, while roughly 20 per cent (106) involved people who were partially vaccinated.
Of the at least 21 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 over the last six weeks, only one was fully vaccinated. One person was partially vaccinated, and 19 unvaccinated.
Further information can be found on the health unit’s summary of COVID-19 cases in Middlesex-London.
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.
Hospitalizations
Ten COVID-19 patients were listed as being in the care of London Health Sciences Centre on Wednesday, unchanged from the day before. Of those, five or fewer are in intensive care.
Fewer than five staff are currently positive with COVID-19, the organization reported.
At St. Joseph’s Health Care London (SJHCL), no COVID-19 patients were listed as being in the care of St. Joseph’s Hospital as of Wednesday.
There is one positive COVID-19 case within SJHCL, involving a patient/resident of Parkwood Institute’s Mental Health Care Building. The case is not related to an outbreak.
Outbreaks
An outbreak tied to Lost Love Social House in downtown London reported a week ago Wednesday, Aug. 18 is tied to at least 14 cases as of Monday.
Meanwhile, a separate outbreak tied to Delilah’s, also in the downtown, is linked to at least 26 primary cases as of Monday. The outbreak was declared Aug. 15.
Elsewhere, the health unit says one outbreak is active involving Total Package Hockey Day Camp, declared Aug. 20. The outbreak is linked to at least three cases.
No institutional outbreaks involving health care spaces, such as hospitals, long-term care homes or retirement homes, are currently active in the London and Middlesex region.
The most recent outbreak involving the sector, reported on the first floor of Grand Wood Park Retirement, was declared Aug. 13 and resolved by Aug. 19.
Long-term care and retirement home outbreaks have been linked to at least 865 cases and 110 deaths over the course of the pandemic.
Day and overnight camps
At least nine cases in London-Middlesex are active involving day and overnight camps in the region, according to the health unit.
Three are linked to Total Package Hockey Day Camp, where an outbreak was declared Aug. 20.
Elsewhere, two cases each are tied to London Devilettes Girls Hockey Assoc. Junior Summer Camp, and the YMCA’s Fanshawe Conservation Area Summer Day Camp.
One case each is associated with the Canadian Fade Golf Academy Summer Junior Camp and the London Minor Football Association Day Camp – Red Storm Atom, the health unit says.
According to the health unit, their figures count London-Middlesex residents only.
Vaccinations and testing
The health unit’s most recent vaccination data, released Tuesday, shows 707,270 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in the region so far as of the end of day Aug. 21.
Among those aged 12 and up, 74.6 per cent are fully vaccinated while 82.5 per cent have had at least one dose.
The age group with the lowest vaccine takeup remains those age 30-34 with 60.9 per cent fully vaccinated and 70.9 per cent having had at least one dose.
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.
Ontario
Ontario reported 660 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday, as well as one more death from the virus.
Health Minister Christine Elliott said 525 of the new cases involve people who are not fully vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown.
The remaining 135 are among people who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The minister said 283 people are in hospital due to COVID-19, 253 of whom are not fully inoculated or with unknown vaccination status.
She said another 161 people are in intensive care because of the virus, seven of them fully vaccinated.
The province says slightly more than 82 per cent of Ontarians 12 and older have received one dose of a vaccine, and just over 75 per cent have had two shots.
Ontario’s hospital association says broader vaccination is needed to minimize the impact of the pandemic’s fourth wave as hospitalizations and intensive care admissions due to the virus rise.
Elgin and Oxford
Three new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Elgin-Middlesex.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases in the region to 4,057. Three recoveries were reported, bringing that total to 3,946.
No deaths were reported, keeping that figure unchanged at 84.
Twenty-seven cases are currently active in the region, with 11 of them in St. Thomas. Per-municipality case counts for the pandemic can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
Three of the region’s active cases are currently hospitalized, however, they are not in the ICU.
The number of variant cases stands at 972, four more than the day before. At least 769 are the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), 148 are the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) and 55 are either the Beta variant (B.1.351) or the Gamma variant (P.1).
Three of the new variant cases involve the Delta variant and one the Alpha variant.
There are no active institutional outbreaks, the health unit says.
The region’s test positive rate stood at 1.5 per cent as of last week, down from 1.8 the week prior.
As of Aug. 22, SWPH says 81.1 per cent of its residents aged 12 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 73.1 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.
Health officials say the mass immunization clinic in St. Thomas will administer its final doses at Memorial Arena on Sept. 10 before reopening on Sept. 13 at a new location at 1230 Talbot St.
People can 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
Two new cases were reported Wednesday in Huron and Perth counties, both in Perth East.
It brings the region’s pandemic case total to 2,006, of which 1,932 cases have resolved, an increase of four from the day before. At least 57 deaths have been reported in the region, unchanged from the day before.
Seven previously confirmed cases have since been determined to involve a variant of concern, bringing that total to 384, the health unit says. Details on the specific variants were not available.
The health unit says 17 cases are active in the region, with five each in North Perth and Perth East, four in Stratford, two in South Huron and one in Huron East. Case counts by municipality during the pandemic can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
No one was listed as hospitalized with COVID-19.
No new outbreaks have been reported. One is active involving Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East, a long-term care home.
The outbreak was declared Aug. 20 and currently involves four residents and three staff members — one more each than the day before.
There is one active community outbreak, but HPPH has not provided any details about it.
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, 79.4 per cent of residents age 12 and older have had at least one dose while 72.4 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.
As of Aug. 18, HPPH says anyone turning 12 in 2021 is eligible to be vaccinated.
Information on pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines can be found on the province’s website.
Sarnia and Lambton
One new case was reported Wednesday in Lambton County.
It brings the region’s pandemic case total to 3,677, of which 3,591 have resolved, an increase of two from the day before.
Sixty-eight deaths have been reported, unchanged from Tuesday. The most recent death, involving someone in their 70s, was reported on July 26.
The health unit says 18 cases are currently active. Their locations are not public.
Data from Lambton Public Health regarding variant cases in the region remains unavailable due to changes to the province’s case and contact management system. The health unit says the tally will be reported “as soon as provincial data remediation is complete.”
As of last Aug. 18, the number of cases involving a variant of concern was 690.
One confirmed COVID-19 patient was in the care of Bluewater Health as of Wednesday, unchanged from the day before.
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.
The health unit says at least 171,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Lambton so far. Roughly 77 per cent of people 12 and older have gotten at least one dose, and 71 per cent two doses.
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 Jacquelyn LeBel and The Canadian Press
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