COVID-19: MLHU reports 111 cases from Saturday to Monday

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 111 new COVID-19 cases from Saturday to Monday. The total case count climbed to 15,088.

Of the 111 cases, 36 were reported Monday, 37 on Sunday and 38 on Saturday. No new deaths were reported.

There are currently 255 active cases (an increase of 62 from Friday), 14,581 recoveries (an increase of 51) and 252 deaths (unchanged).

The most recent deaths were reported Nov. 22 and involved an unvaccinated man in his 60s and a fully vaccinated woman in her 80s.

The rate of active cases is highest among those 0-11, with 56 cases working out to 86.9 cases per 100,000 population. The cohort with the next highest rate of cases is those 18-24 with 41 cases, or 77.7 per 100,000 population.

On Friday, there were only 33 active cases among those 0-11 at a rate of 51.2 cases per 100,000 population. Vaccinations for those aged five to 11 have began Nov. 26 locally, while children under five are still not eligible.

Information on local variant of concern data can be found by visiting the health unit’s summary of COVID-19 cases on the Middlesex-London page and clicking on the “Case Status” tab.

Hospitalizations

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is caring for 12 inpatients with COVID-19 on Monday, with five or fewerin adult critical care or the intensive care unit, a decrease of two.

On Nov. 29, LHSC chief medical officer Dr. Adam Dukelow reiterated that, over the previous four weeks, roughly two-thirds of LHSC’s COVID-19 admissions came from outside of London-Middlesex.

There were five or fewer inpatients with COVID-19 in LHSC’s Children’s Hospital, with five or fewer in pediatric critical care as of Thursday.

Five or fewer staff members had tested positive for COVID-19.

St. Joseph’s Health Care London is reporting zero cases involving health-care workers.

Outbreaks

The MLHU is not reporting any outbreaks at long-term care homes, retirement homes or hospitals but there are several outbreaks involving schools:

• Blessed Sacrament Catholic School, declared Dec. 4
• St. Marguerite d’Youville School, decalred Dec. 3
• St. Mary Choir and Orchestra Catholic School, declared Dec. 5
• Tecumseh Public School, declared Dec. 3
• West Oaks French Immersion Public School, declared Dec. 4

Additionally, an outbreak at outbreak at Fanshawe College’s Merlin House residence, declared Nov. 28, and at Western University’s Saugeen-Maitland Hall residence, declared Nov. 27, are both ongoing.

As of Nov. 29, the outbreak at Western involved eight students and the Fanshawe outbreak was associated with three cases.

1:54 Merck Canada announces its antiviral COVID-19 treatment will be manufactured in Ontario

Schools

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

• A. B. Lucas Secondary School (one case)
• Blessed Sacrament Catholic School (two cases)
• Byron Northview Public School (one case)
• Cedar Hollow Public School (one case)
• Covenant Christian School (one case)
• École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc (one cast)
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Public School (one case)
• Glen Cairn Public School (one case)
• London South Collegiate Institute (one case)
• Matthews Hall (one case)
• Mountsfield Public School (four cases)
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (one case)
• Riverside Public School (one case)
• Ryerson Public School (one case)
• Saunders Secondary School (one case)
• St. Anthony Catholic French Immersion School (one case)
• St. George’s Public School (one case)
• St. Jude Catholic School (one case)
• St. Marguerite d’Youville School (five cases)
• St. Mary Choice and Orchestra Catholic School (two cases)
• St. Nicholas Catholic School (three cases)
• St. Paul Catholic School (one case)
• Stoneybrook Public School (one case)
• Tecumseh Public School (four cases)
• West Oaks French Immersion Public School (four cases)
• Westmount Public School (one case)
• Woodland Heights Public School (one case)

As for child-care and early-years centres in the MLHU’s jurisdiction, there is one active case each at Kidzone Day Care Centre and St. Theresa YMCA Child Care, both in London.

The health unit says at least 314 cases have been reported since the start of the school year involving elementary and secondary schools, as well as child-care and early-years centres.

Vaccinations and testing

According to the MLHU, 90.2 per cent of residents aged 12 and older have had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 28 while 87.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Among the entire population aged five and over, 83.3 per cent of the population has had at least one dose while 80.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

As for the vaccination status of cases, the MLHU says unvaccinated individuals have accounted for 43.41 per cent of all cases (270 of 622) and 40.91 per cent of hospitalizations (nine of 22) since Oct. 25.

Of the seven COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last six weeks, four involved individuals who were unvaccinated, one involved someone partially vaccinated and two involved someone who was 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 the locations of testing sites on the health unit’s website.

The latest COVID-19 test positivity rate in the region was 2.1 per cent for the week of Nov. 21, up from 1.6 per cent for the week of Nov. 14.

Ontario

The province reported 887 cases on Monday, breaking a three day trend of daily case counts over 1,000.

Ontario reported 1,184 cases on Sunday and 1,053 on Saturday after reported 1,031 on Friday — the first time the count surpassed 1,000 in six months.

Of the 887 cases reported Monday, 373 were among unvaccinated individuals.

According to Monday’s report, 139 cases were recorded in Toronto, 73 in Simcoe Muskoka, 60 in York Region, 60 in Peel Region, and 55 in Ottawa. All other health units reported fewer than 50 cases.

Three more deaths were also reported Monday.

Of those 12 and older, 87.3 per cent are fully immunized. Among those five to 11, 21 per cent have had their first dose.

Elgin and Oxford

On Monday, Southwestern Public Health reported:

• 5,523 total cases (an increase of 85 cases from Friday with two cases removed from the tally due to data cleanup)
• 202 active cases (an increase of 26 from Friday)
• 5,220 resolved cases (an increase of 56)
• 101 deaths to date (an increase of one)

The death reported Monday involved a man in his 70s from Elgin County.

Three deaths were reported last week, involving a woman in her 70s reported in the Dec. 3 update, a woman in her 50s in the Dec. 2 update and a woman in her 80s in the Nov. 29 update. All three were from Elgin County.

Further details can be found on SWPH’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Of the 202 active cases in the region, 101 were in Elgin County (including 55 in St. Thomas and 27 in Aylmer) and 101 were in Oxford County (including 38 in Woodstock and 32 in Tillsonburg).

SWPH does not disclose the vaccination status of individuals but told Global News on Nov. 9 that roughly 78 per cent of active cases at the time involved individuals who were not fully vaccinated.

Twelve people were hospitalized with COVID-19, with four in the ICU as of Monday.

An outbreak at Caressant Care Bonnie Place in St. Thomas declared Nov. 28 is ongoing. It now involves five resident cases and six 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 5.9 per cent for the week of Nov. 21, up from 5.4 per cent for the week of Nov. 14.

As of Dec. 5, 75.4 per cent of those aged five and older in the region were fully vaccinated while 79.1 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 Monday, Huron Perth Public Health reported:

• 2,614 total cases (an increase of 28)
• 76 active cases (up seven)
• 2,468 recoveries (an increase of 21)
• 70 deaths to date (unchanged)

The most recent death was reported Nov. 29 and involved a community member and was connected to a workplace outbreak, according to a spokesperson for the health unit.

Among the 76 active cases, 10 were reported in North Perth and four in Perth East. Full case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.

There were five people hospitalized with COVID-19 and zero active cases involving health-care workers as of Friday.

HPPH is reporting five outbreaks, involving three schools, one child-care centre and one workplace:

• An outbreak at North Perth Westfield ES in North Perth, declared Nov. 30, involves nine students and one staff case.
• An outbreak at North Perth Westfield Before and After Program, declared Nov. 29, involves two students.
• An outbreak at Elma Township Public School in North Perth, declared Nov. 23, involves 26 students and one staff case.
• An outbreak at North Perth Spinrite Child and Family Centre in North Perth, declared Nov. 22, involves three child cases.

No further information was provided about the workplace outbreaks.

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 3.6 per cent for the week of Nov. 21, up from 2.9 per cent for the week of Nov. 14.

HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Nov. 29, 83.4 per cent of those aged 12 and older were fully vaccinated while 85.9 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.

1:55 Growing calls for better support to address the pandemic’s toll on mental health

Sarnia and Lambton

On Monday, Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported:

• 4,434 total cases (an increase of 28 from Friday)
• 61 active cases (an increase of 14)
• 4,295 resolved cases (an increase of 14)
• 78 deaths (unchanged)

The most recent death was reported Friday, Dec. 3.

As of Monday, one COVID-19 patient was in the care of Bluewater Health.

LPH is reporting four active outbreaks:

• an outbreak at St. Anne Catholic School declared Dec. 3 and involving five cases
• an outbreak at St. Bartholomew’s Early Childhood Learning Centre declared Dec. 3 and involving fewer than five cases
• an outbreak at Generations Day Care – St. Philip Site, declared Nov. 28 and involving fewer than five cases.
• an outbreak at an unidentified workplace declared Nov. 28, involving two 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 Nov. 21 was 2.8 per cent, up slightly from 2.7 per cent the week prior.

Among area residents aged five and older, 78 per cent have had at least one dose while 75 per cent have had two doses. Five per cent have had a third 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 contact 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