Jump to: Hospitalizations – Cases and testing – Outbreaks – Vaccinations – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton
The Middlesex-London Health Unit reported zero deaths and 92 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases on Thursday, though case counts are considered an under-estimate due to testing restrictions and widespread transmission.
The total number of deaths reported so far this February remains at 49.
London Health Sciences Centre, meanwhile, is caring for 50 inpatients with COVID-19, seven of whom are in adult critical care.
Hospitalizations
As noted, LHSC is caring for 50 COVID-19 inpatients, with seven inpatients in adult critical care. Last Thursday, LHSC was caring for 62 COVID-19 inpatients with 12 in adult critical care.
Of the 50, there were five or fewer in Children’s Hospital, with five or fewer in pediatric critical care. A week ago, LHSC reported six in Children’s Hospital, with five or fewer in pediatric critical care.
Of all of LHSC’s COVID-19 patients, 20 are being treated for COVID-19 while 30 others in hospital have incidental COVID-19 infections.
While hospitalization data has been trending downwards, staff cases have begun to rise again over the last week. Among staff, there are 179 cases, up from 160 on Wednesday and 136 a week ago.
However, MLHU acting medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers said that it’s too early to say if this is part of a new trend or if it’s just a brief deviation in the overall downward trend.
“Our trend at the moment is decline, generally speaking, it is starting to plateau as a decline. Whether or not it surges or continues to decline, I think, remains to be seen. But the risk for transmission goes up when public health protections are (lifted),” he said.
“Now we are going to have to (ease) public health protections at some point. That’s not the issue here. It is just a question of the timing and we’ll continue to have to watch to see what happens in our community.”
St. Joseph’s Health Care London reported four cases among patients or residents in its care and 61 health-care workers with COVID-19 (up from 51 the day before). A week ago St. Joseph’s reported one patient or resident case and 57 cases among health-care workers.
Three patient/resident cases reported Thursday are at Parkwood Institute Main Building while one is at Parkwood Institute Mental Health Care Building.
Cases and testing
The MLHU reported zero deaths and 92 cases on Thursday, compared with zero deaths and 91 cases a week ago.
However, eight deaths were reported on Wednesday, bringing February’s total to 49.
Note that due to changes in eligibility for PCR testing, daily case counts are not considered a fully reliable reflection of COVID-19 activity in the region.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit says individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should consider themselves to be positive for COVID-19 and self-isolate. The health unit has provided information on what to do if you develop symptoms, test positive on a rapid test or PCR test or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive.
In total, there have been 31,513 confirmed cases since the onset of the pandemic, including 761 currently active cases (a decrease of 37), 30,403 resolved cases (an increase of 133) and 349 deaths (unchanged).
The test positivity rate for the week of Feb. 13 was 12.8 per cent, down from 16.6 per cent the week prior.
Outbreaks
LHSC is updating its outbreak information on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, except in the cases where an outbreak is resolved or declared.
LHSC is reporting the following outbreaks:
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- University Hospital
- U9 300 – Medicine, declared Feb. 17, involving eight patient cases
- U4 North East and East Corridors, General Medicine, declared Jan. 25, 17 patient cases and 14 staff cases
- A9 Inpatients 100 and 200 Corridors, declared Jan. 11, involving 41 patient cases and 13 staff cases
- Victoria Hospital
- C6 100 Geriatric Behavioural Unit, declared Feb. 21, involving five or fewer patient cases and five or fewer staff cases
- C6 100 Geriatric Behavioural Unit, declared Feb. 21, involving five or fewer patient cases and five or fewer staff cases
- University Hospital
Additionally, the MLHU is reporting the following active institutional outbreaks:
- Ashwood Manor, facility-wide, declared Feb. 22
- Dorchester Terrace, second floor, declared Feb. 19
- Kensington Village Retirement, eighth avenue, declared Feb. 18
- Maple View Terrace, sixth floor, declared Feb. 12
- Waverley Mansion, first floor, declared Feb. 3
- Westmount Gardens, Lily Unit, declared Feb. 15
Vaccinations
Ontario’s GO-Vaxx mobile bus clinic will be at the East Lions Community Centre in London’s Argyle neighbourhood on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Appointments can be made through the province’s online booking system or over the phone at 1-833-943-3900 but walk-ins will also be welcome.
Further information on vaccination in the MLHU’s region, as well as other COVID-19-related information, can be found on the health unit’s website.
As of end of day Feb. 19, 90.6 per cent of residents aged five and older had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, up from 90.4 per cent the week prior. Two-dose coverage for that cohort sits at 86.9 per cent, up from 86.5 per cent.
The percentage of people aged five and older who have received third doses is 49.2 per cent, up from 48.5 per cent the week before. Note that those aged 12 to 17 only became eligible for a third dose as of Feb. 18 and those under 12 are still not eligible.
First-dose coverage for those aged five to 11 is 59.5 per cent, up from 59.0 per cent. Last week, the MLHU announced it would be rolling out several additional child- and youth-focused COVID-19 vaccination clinics in a bid to get more doses of the vaccine into the arms of local children.
Ontario
The province reported 1,066 people in hospital with COVID-19 on Thursday, with 302 in ICU, compared with 1,342 hospitalizations with 356 in the ICU last Thursday.
Of the 1,066 in hospital with COVID-19, 49 per cent were admitted because of the virus while the rest were admitted for other reasons but tested positive in hospital. Of the 302 in the ICUs, 74 per cent were admitted because of COVID-19.
The province also reported 2,404 cases Thursday, though that is an underestimate due to widespread transmission combined with restrictions on testing. As well, 41 more deaths were reported, bringing that total to 12,347.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health’s COVID-19 cases dashboard is updated only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, barring holidays.
On Wednesday, SWPH reported three deaths, none of which were tied to an outbreak. The deaths involved a woman in her 50s, a man in his 60s and a man in his 80s, all from Oxford County.
The health unit said there were 11 COVID-19 hospitalizations with four inpatients in the ICU, compared with 19 hospitalizations and six inpatients in the ICU a week ago.
The test positivity rate for the week of Feb. 6 was 13.5 per cent, down from 14.9 per cent the week prior.
As for cases, SWPH reported:
- 11,071 cases (an increase of 107 from Friday with three removed due to data cleanup)
- 227 active cases (a decrease of 104 from Friday)
- 10,696 resolved cases (an increase of 205 from Friday; note that SWPH clears all cases after 10 days regardless of outcome)
- 148 total deaths to date (an increase of three from Friday)
There were active institutional outbreaks at the following locations:
- Maple Manor Nursing Home, Tillsonburg, declared Jan. 18 and involving 50 resident cases and 19 staff cases
- Bethany Care Home, Norwich, declared Feb. 9 and involving four resident cases and one staff case
As of Feb. 21, 80.5 per cent of those aged five and older in the region had received two doses of the vaccine, while 83.5 per cent have had at least one dose.
Further information on where and how to get vaccinated can be found on the health unit’s website.
The health unit encouraged people to join its Same-Day Vaccination List, which offers any leftover doses due to cancellations or no-shows.
Huron and Perth
On Thursday, Huron Perth Public Health reported five patients in hospital with COVID-19, with four cases considered active. Last Thursday, HPPH reported two patients in hospital with COVID-19, with only one case considered active.
For the week of Feb. 13, the test positivity rate was 9.0 per cent, down from 11.0 per cent the week prior.
In total, HPPH reported 5,604 total cases (an increase of 22) and 92 deaths to date (unchanged).
HPPH reported 662 total cases among health-care workers since March 2020, an increase of three from Wednesday. Three cases were listed as active as of Thursday.
As of Thursday, there was only one active outbreak, at Queensway Nursing Home in Bluewater. The outbreak was declared Jan. 27 and involves 35 resident cases and 19 staff cases.
A previously reported outbreak at an unidentified congregate living facility is no longer listed as active.
As of Feb. 21, 84.2 per cent of residents aged five and older have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while 80.7 per cent are fully vaccinated. Third-dose coverage stands at 51.1 per cent of those five and older, though those under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for a third dose and those aged 12 to 17 only became eligible for a booster dose as of Feb. 18.
Information on how and where to get a vaccine can be found on the health unit’s website.
Sarnia and Lambton
Bluewater Health reported 12 patients in hospital with confirmed COVID-19, the same figure that was reported a week ago. Of those 12, one is in the ICU, again mirroring last Thursday’s hospital data.
Like Southwestern Public Health, Lambton Public Health is now only providing updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Additionally, LPH updated its COVID-19 dashboard and is no longer listing the number of active cases and resolved cases.
As of Wednesday, Lambton Public Health reported an average ICU occupancy of 55 per cent for the week of Feb. 13, down from 67 per cent for the week of Feb. 6 and 81 the week of Jan. 30.
The test positivity rate for the week of Feb. 6 was 22.9 per cent, down from 25.7 per cent the week of Jan. 30.
LPH said there were 9,680 total cases (an increase of 16) and 126 deaths (unchanged). LPH said Wednesday there were no active outbreaks in “congregate settings.”
Among area residents aged five and older, 83 per cent have had at least one dose of vaccine, 79 per cent have had two doses and 48 per cent have had a third dose. Note that those under 12 are not currently eligible for 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
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