Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Schools – Vaccinations and testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 16 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, though the total case count climbed by only 15.
In total, there have been 14,255 cases with 13,870 recoveries (an increase of 21), 142 active cases (a decrease of six) and 243 deaths.
The last two deaths, reported Sunday, involved a man in his 80s and a man in his 50s. Neither was associated with a long-term care or retirement home. On Tuesday, medical officer of health Dr. Chris Mackie said that both individuals were partially vaccinated.
The number of total cases involving a variant of concern climbed by three to 4,269. The breakdown of known variant cases is as follows:
- 3,384 cases of the Alpha variant
- 755 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) is caring for 12 inpatients with COVID-19 as of Thursday with five or fewer in adult critical care or the intensive care unit.
There are zero COVID-19 inpatients in Children’s Hospital. As a result, there are zero cases in pediatric critical care.
Zero staff have currently tested positive for COVID-19.
St. Joseph’s Health Care London (SJHCL) reported one non-outbreak case involving a health-care worker.
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 Oct. 7 as “precautionary” with only two confirmed cases at that time.
There are also outbreaks reported at the following schools:
- Ryerson Public School on Oct. 10
- London Christian High, declared Oct. 1
- St. Kateri Catholic School, declared Oct. 7
Mackie explained Tuesday that the outbreak at Ryerson (which is in the process of being renamed) is the result of a supply teacher covering a prep teacher role who was in 14 classes at the school while they were potentially contagious.
He said the supply teacher was double vaccinated and so the likelihood of spread is lower but, as of Tuesday, there was a single case “where we don’t think that there is a better explanation anywhere else in the community, except exposure in one of these classes.”
A previous outbreak at St. Catherine of Siena Elementary School, declared Oct. 1, was listed as over as of Oct. 12.
Schools
The following schools have cases associated with them, according to the MLHU:
- C C Carrothers Public School (one case)
- Catholic Central High School (two cases)
- Evelyn Harrison Public School (one case)
- London Christian High (two cases)
- Mountsfiled Public School (one case)
- Providence Reformed Collegiate (two cases)
- Ryerson Public School (one case)
- Saunders Secondary School (one case)
- Sir Arthur Carty Catholic School (one case)
- St. Anthony Catholic French Immersion School (one case)
- St Francis Catholic School (two cases)
- 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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- London Children’s Connection: St Francis – Before and After School (one case)
The health unit said at least 117 cases have been reported since the start of the school year involving elementary and secondary schools, and child-care and early years centres.
Vaccinations and testing
As of Oct. 9, 83.2 per cent of residents aged 12 and older were fully vaccinated and 87.9 per cent have had at least one dose.
Since Sept. 1, unvaccinated individuals have accounted for 64.74 per cent of all cases (or 470 of 726 cases) and 63.33 per cent of all hospitalizations (or 19 of hospitalizations).
Meanwhile, 25.07 per cent of all cases (or 182 of 726 cases) involved those who were fully vaccinated while 30 per cent of all hospitalizations (nine of 30) 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, three involved people who were unvaccinated, two involved individuals who were fully vaccinated, two involved people who were partially vaccinated and one involved someone who was not yet protected by vaccination.
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
The province reported 417 cases Thursday and three deaths.
Of the 417 cases, 228 involved unvaccinated people, 16 were partially vaccinated, 146 were fully vaccinated and for 27 people the status was unknown.
According to Thursday’s report, 69 cases were recorded in Toronto, 44 in Eastern Ontario Health Unit, 43 in Peel Region, 30 in Hamilton, 29 in Ottawa and 23 in Windsor-Essex. All other health units reported fewer than 20 cases.
Among those eligible, 82.6 per cent are fully vaccinated and 87.2 per cent have had at least one dose.
Ontario reported 254 people in general hospital wards with COVID-19 (up by 12 from the previous day) with 158 patients in intensive care units (up by five) and 129 patients in intensive care units on a ventilator (up by five).
Elgin and Oxford
On Thursday, Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) reported 12 new cases and stated that one case was removed from its tally due to data cleanup.
In total, SWPH reported:
- 4,459 total cases
- 80 active cases (a decrease of 13)
- 4,291 resolved cases (an increase of 23)
- 88 deaths to date (an increase of one)
- 1,314 variant of concern cases (an increase of eight, all Delta), with 770 Alpha, 490 Delta and 54 Beta or Gamma
The death involved a St. Thomas man in his 60s. SWPH does not provide vaccination data specific to individual cases.
Of the 80 active cases in the region, 37 are in Elgin County (including 13 in Aylmer and nine each in St. Thomas and Bayham) and 43 are in Oxford County (including 11 in Tillsonburg, 10 in Norwich Township and nine in Woodstock).
Four people with COVID-19 are hospitalized, the health unit said, with one in the ICU.
One outbreak, declared Oct. 3, is ongoing at Elgin Manor in St. Thomas. The outbreak is tied to two resident cases and two staff cases.
Information on school cases can be found on the websites of the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board.
The region’s test positivity rate was 2.9 per cent for the week of Oct. 3, up from 2.5 per cent a week earlier.
As of Oct. 12, 81.9 per cent of those aged 12 and older in the region were fully vaccinated while 86.2 per cent have had at least one dose.
Information on where and how to get vaccinated can be found on the health unit’s website.
Huron and Perth
On Thursday, Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) reported:
- 2,265 total cases (an increase of 10)
- 33 active cases
- 2,166 recoveries (an increase of 10)
- 66 deaths to date
Among the 33 active cases, eight are in North Perth and six in Central Huron. Full case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
There are no patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday. There is one active COVID-19 case involving a health-care worker.
HPPH is reporting five outbreaks, though there are no long-term care home, retirement home or hospital outbreaks.
Two of the outbreaks involve schools:
- Huron Christian School in Clinton (six student cases)
- Stratford District Christian School in Stratford (two student cases)
The other outbreaks are listed as a community outbreak, a congregate living setting outbreak, and a workplace outbreak. No further details were provided.
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 2.3 per cent for the week of Oct. 3, down from 2.6 per cent the week of Sept. 26.
HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Oct. 12, 79.6 per cent of those 12 and older were fully vaccinated while 84.1 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.
Sarnia and Lambton
On Thursday, Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported:
- 4,021 total cases (an increase of 16)
- 62 active cases (an increase of five)
- 3,878 resolved cases (an increase of 11)
- 70 deaths to date
As of Thursday, a total of 582 variant of concern cases were confirmed, an increase of one Delta case. Of that total, 439 have been Alpha, 125 have been Delta and 18 have been Gamma.
Five COVID-19 patients are in the care of Bluewater Health on Thursday.
LPH is reporting active outbreaks at two unidentified workplaces, declared on Oct. 3 and Oct 8 linked to four and two cases, respectively.
One outbreak is active at Confederation Central Public School, declared Oct. 12, and linked to fewer than five cases.
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 Oct. 3 was 3.6 per cent, down from 3.7 per cent the week prior.
Among those aged 12 and older, 78.2 per cent are fully vaccinated and 82.5 per cent have had at least one dose.
Residents can book and re-book COVID-19 vaccine appointments or find information on vaccine availability at pharmacies using the health unit’s registration page. People can also call the vaccine call centre at 226-254-8222.
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’ Gabby Rodrigues and Sawyer Bogdan.
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