25 with COVID-19 in Guelph hospital, 48 staff off work: report

Guelph General is treating 25 patients with COVID-19, says the latest Waterloo Wellington COVID report.

It shows that Guelph General Hospital’s ICU bed capacity is at 80 per cent, while its acute care occupancy is at 98 per cent. This includes both COVID and non-COVID patients.

The report also shows that 48 out of 1,994 staff are off work due to COVID-19 protocols, having either tested positive for the virus or are isolating at home due to being considered a high-risk contact.

Across Waterloo Region, Guelph and Wellington County, the report shows there are 166 COVID hospitalizations and over 500 staff off work.

“The number of patients requiring care continues to outpace our resources,” Waterloo Wellington hospital regional lead, Lee Fairclough said.

“You need only look in the faces of the staff and patients in our hospitals including those in stretchers lining our hallways, to understand the tremendous pressures we are facing. From this vantage point, we see that Omicron is serious and is not through with us yet.”

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Public health reported 57 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Guelph on Wednesday, raising its total case count to 8,433 during the pandemic. However, due to recent testing eligibility changes, the provincial government says case numbers are an underestimation of the true spread of the virus in the community.

Active cases reached 502 and the city’s total fatal cases stand at 47. Another 66 cases are considered resolved, raising the total resolved cases to 7,884. There are 10 ongoing outbreaks across the city, including two at the Homewood Health Centre with 29 cases between staff and patients.

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Public health data shows 83.7 per cent of eligible residents in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph — those turning five or older — are considered fully vaccinated, while 89 per cent have received at least one vaccine dose.

In Guelph, 85.8 per cent of all eligible residents are fully vaccinated and 91.2 per cent are partially vaccinated, while in Wellington County, 82.5 per cent are fully vaccinated and 87.7 per cent have received one dose.

So far this week, about 3,400 vaccines have been administered in the region, with most being third-dose booster shots.