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COVID-19: London and Middlesex adds 26 new cases Saturday

A woman wears a face mask as she walks along a street in Montreal, Saturday, July 11, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press

Jump to: HospitalizationsOutbreaksSchoolsVaccinations and testingOntarioElgin and OxfordHuron and PerthSarnia and Lambton


The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 26 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday.

In total, there have been 14,207 cases, with 13,771 recoveries (an increase of 10), 195 active cases (an increase of 16) and 241 deaths.

The latest death was reported Friday. It involved a woman in her 70s and was not associated with a long-term care or retirement home.

Based on the MLHU’s data on vaccination status of cases, the latest death involved someone who was unvaccinated.

The number of cases involving a variant of concern climbed by three to 4,263. The breakdown of known variant cases is as follows:

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  • 3,384 cases of the Alpha variant
  • 749 cases of the Delta variant (an increase of three)
  • 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.

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

Hospitalizations

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) does not update hospitalization data over the weekend.

As of Friday, LHSC was caring for 10 inpatients with COVID-19.

Five or fewer patients were in adult critical care/the intensive care unit.

There were zero COVID-19 inpatients in Children’s Hospital and zero inpatients in pediatric critical care.

The number of staff cases remains at five or fewer.

St. Joseph’s Health Care London (SJHCL) reported two non-outbreak cases involving health-care workers.

Outbreaks

The MLHU is reporting an outbreak at Dearness Home in 5E, declared Oct. 6, which medical officer of health Dr. Chris Mackie described on Thursday as “precautionary” with only two confirmed cases at that time.

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There are also outbreaks reported at the following schools:

  • Lord Elgin Public School, declared Sept. 26
  • St. Catherine of Siena Elementary School, declared Oct. 1
  • London Christian High, declared Oct. 1
  • St. Kateri Catholic School, declared Oct. 7

Lord Elgin has been closed since Sept. 29 but is expected to reopen Oct. 12. Mackie said, “in terms of operating the school, that’s really a school decision.”

There are currently no active outbreaks at child-care or early-years centres.

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Schools

The following schools have cases associated with them, according to the MLHU:

  • Banting Annex Adult ESL (one case)
  • Catholic Central High School (one case)
  • Eagle Heights Public School (one case)
  • Evelyn Harrison Public School (one case)
  • Glen Cairn Public School (one case)
  • Glencoe District High School (one case)
  • London Christian High (four cases)
  • Lord Elgin Public School (four cases, the TVDSB is reporting five active cases and 14 recoveries)
  • Sir Arthur Carty Catholic School (one case)
  • Sir Frederick Banting Secondary School (one case)
  • St. Anthony Catholic French Immersion School (one case)
  • St. Catherine of Siena Elementary School (one case)
  • St. Kateri Catholic School (two cases)
  • St. Theresa Catholic School (two cases)

The following child-care or early-years centres have cases associated with them, according to the MLHU:

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  • Kidlogic London (one case)
  • London Children’s Connection: St Francis – Before and After School (one case)
  • Maitland Early Childhood Learning Centre (one case)

The health unit said at least 107 cases have been reported since the start of the school year involving elementary and secondary schools, and child-care/early-years centres.

Vaccinations and testing

The latest health and medical news emailed to you every Sunday.

The latest vaccination update was issued on Oct. 2.

At that time, 82.1 per cent of residents aged 12 and older were fully vaccinated and 87.2 per cent have had at least one dose.

Since Aug. 27, unvaccinated individuals have accounted for 66.25 per cent of all cases (or 528 of 797 cases) and 70.59 per cent of all hospitalizations (or 24 of 34 hospitalizations).

Meanwhile, 22.58 per cent of all cases (or 180 of 797 cases) involved those who were fully vaccinated while 23.53 per cent of all hospitalizations (eight of 34) involved individuals who were fully vaccinated.

The rest of the cases involved individuals who were partially vaccinated or not yet protected by vaccination.

Of the eight COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last six weeks, half involved people who were unvaccinated, two involved individuals who were fully vaccinated, one involved someone who was partially vaccinated and one involved someone who was not yet protected by vaccination.

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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 the locations of testing sites on the health unit’s website.

The latest COVID-19 test positivity rate in the region was 1.8 per cent for the week of Sept. 26, unchanged from the week of Sept. 19.

Ontario

Ontario reported 654 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total case count in the province to 591,331.

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This is the first time in seven days where cases were reported above 600. The seven-day average now sits at 544, a decrease from 607 at this point last week.

Two more deaths were recorded on Saturday, bringing the provincial death toll to 9,788.

Saturday’s report stated 577 more cases were deemed resolved.

The Ministry of Health reported 258 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 with 153 patients in intensive care units.

Elgin and Oxford

Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) does not update COVID-19 data over the weekend.

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On Friday, SWPH reported:

  • 4,382 total cases (an increase of 16)
  • 84 active cases (an increase of five)
  • 4,211 resolved cases (an increase of 11)
  • 87 deaths
  • 1,252 variant of concern cases (an increase of 11, all Delta), with 770 Alpha, 428 Delta and 54 Beta or Gamma

The most recent death was reported on Oct. 5 and involved a 75-year-old Aylmer man.

Of the 84 active cases in the region, 50 were in Elgin County (including 18 in Aylmer, 12 in St. Thomas and 10 in Bayham) and 34 are in Oxford County (including 12 in Woodstock and 10 in Tillsonburg).

Four people with COVID-19 were hospitalized, the health unit said, with one case in the ICU.

SWPH reported an active long-term care home outbreak declared Oct. 3 at Elgin Manor in St. Thomas, involving two resident cases and one staff case.

Information on school cases can be found on the websites of the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board.

As of Sept. 26, the region’s test positivity rate stood at 2.5 per cent, up from 1.2 per cent a week earlier.

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As of Oct. 7, 81.3 per cent of those aged 12 and older in the region were fully vaccinated while 85.9 per cent have had at least one dose.

Information on where to get vaccinated, vaccine eligibility and booking and cancelling appointments can be found on the health unit’s website.

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.

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Huron and Perth

Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) does not update COVID-19 data over the weekend.

On Friday, HPPH reported:

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  • 2,233 cases (an increase of seven from Thursday)
  • 44 active cases
  • 2,124 recoveries (an increase of 13)
  • 65 deaths

Full case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.

Two people were hospitalized with COVID-19. There was one active COVID-19 case involving a health-care worker.

HPPH is not reporting any active long-term care home, retirement home, hospital or school outbreaks. However, one community outbreak and one congregate living setting outbreak are active.

Data on school cases can be found on the websites of the Avon-Maitland District School Board and the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board.

The region’s test positivity rate was 2.0 per cent as of the week of Sept. 19, up from 1.8 per cent the week before.

HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Oct. 4, 78.7 per cent of those 12 and older were fully vaccinated while 83.7 per cent have had at least one dose.

Information on how and where to get a vaccine can be found on the health unit’s website. Information on pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccines can be found on the province’s website.

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Sarnia and Lambton

On Saturday, Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported:

  • 3,988 cases (an increase of 17 from Friday)
  • 98 active cases
  • 3,820 resolved cases (an increase of 17)
  • 70 deaths

LPH does not update specific COVID-19 data over the weekend.

As of Friday, a total of 568 variant of concern cases were confirmed. Of those, 439 have been Alpha, 111 have been Delta and 18 have been Gamma.

Three COVID-19 patients were in the care of Bluewater Health on Friday.

LPH is reporting active outbreaks at:

  • Generations Day Care – Queen Elizabeth Site, declared Sept. 28 and involving fewer than five cases.
  • An unidentified workplace outbreak, declared Oct. 3

All active cases at schools within the Lambton Kent District School Board can be found online, as can cases at schools within the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.

The test positivity rate for the week of Sept. 26 was 3.7 per cent.

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Among those aged 12 and older, 77.6 per cent are fully vaccinated and 82.1 per cent have had at least one dose.

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.

Those who are able to get vaccinated on short notice are encouraged to sign up for Lambton Public Health’s daily Vaccine Standby List.

— With files from Global News’ Jacquelyn LeBel and Kabi Moulitharan 

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