COVID-19: Middlesex-London Health Unit reports record 228 cases
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 a record-high 228 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and no new deaths.
In comparison, the MLHU reported 65 cases on Wednesday, Dec. 15 and 37 cases on Wednesday, Dec. 8.
The health unit also issued new guidance, stating that the influx of cases has challenged contact tracing efforts. The MLHU is now advising anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 or develops respiratory symptoms, to self-isolate immediately and ask members of their household to do the same.
In total, there have been 16,490 confirmed cases since the onset of the pandemic, including 1,143 active cases (an increase of 152), 15,090 recoveries (an increase of 54) and 257 deaths (unchanged).
The most recent death was reported Dec. 16 and involved a man in his 90s, not associated with a long-term care or retirement home. He was unvaccinated.
The rate of active cases remains highest among those under 12, with 237 cases or 368.0 cases per 100,000 population, up from 139 cases or 215.8 per 100,000 a week ago and 80 cases or 124.2 per 100,000 population two weeks ago.
There are 108 cases, or 327.0 per 100,000 population, among those 12 to 17 and 311 cases, or 277.6 per 100,000 population, among those 25 to 39.
Information on local variants of concern can be found on the health unit’s summary of COVID-19 cases on the Middlesex-London page and the “Case Status” tab.
On Wednesday, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) reported caring for 13 inpatients with COVID-19, with five or fewer patients in adult critical care or the intensive care unit, down from 14 inpatients with six in critical care the day before.
There were five or fewer inpatients with COVID-19 in LHSC’s Children’s Hospital, with zero in pediatric critical care.
Thirty-six staff members had tested positive for COVID-19, up from 28 on Monday, when an LHSC spokesperson said the cases were not having an operational impact on the hospital network and that there were no outbreaks within LHSC.
St. Joseph’s Health Care London reported three cases involving healthcare workers.
The MLHU has reported an outbreak at Chartwell London’s Magnolia area, declared Dec. 18. There is also an ongoing outbreak at McCormick Home’s Memory Lane, declared Dec. 14.
There are also outbreaks at the following schools:
There is one active outbreak in a child-care setting at the YMCA: St. Patrick Catholic School Before and After School, declared Dec. 19.
The following post-secondary institutions have outbreaks:
Acting medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers said Dec. 16 that the outbreaks at Western and Fanshawe were “fairly stable.”
The following schools have active cases associated with them, according to the MLHU:
Child-care and early-years centres:
The health unit says at least 600 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.
As of Dec. 18, 81.7 per cent of residents five and older were fully vaccinated while 87.1 per cent have had at least one dose, up from 81.5 per cent and 86.3 per cent the week prior.
When looking specifically at those five to 11, who’ve only been able to get vaccinated locally since Nov. 26, 40.5 per cent have had their first dose as of
Third dose coverage is also growing with 46.3 per cent of those 80 and older having had their booster shot, 42.6 per cent of those 75 to 79 and 41.1 per cent of those 70 to 74.
The MLHU and LHSC have announced holiday hours for the Carling COVID-19 Assessment Centre. The centre will operate from 9:20 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 24 and from 10:20 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 25 before resuming regular hours on Sunday, Dec. 26 (9:20 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.).
Telephone booking will be unavailable from Dec. 24 to 27 as well as on Jan. 3, 2022 but appointments can still be booked online at any time.
As for the vaccination status of cases, the MLHU says unvaccinated individuals have accounted for 32.71 per cent of all cases (609 of 1,862) and 40.74 per cent of hospitalizations (11 of 27) since Nov. 9. Note that those who are unvaccinated account for only 12.9 per cent of the population aged five and older as of Dec. 18.
Of the 11 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last six weeks, six individuals were unvaccinated, four were fully vaccinated and one was partially 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 6.7 per cent for the week of Dec. 12, up from 3.7 per cent for the week of Dec. 5 and 3.1 per cent for the week of Nov. 28.
The province reported 4,383 cases Wednesday, the highest one-day increase since 4,505 were reported April 23.
Of the 4,383 new cases recorded, the data showed 746 were unvaccinated people, 172 were partially vaccinated people, 3,243 were fully vaccinated people and for 222 people the vaccination status was unknown.
Patients with COVID in ICUs (intensive care units) have remained relatively stable but are overall on a slow rise. Experts have said it could take up to two weeks or more following a surge in new cases to see a sharper rise in hospitalizations/ICUs.
Ten deaths were reported Wednesday.
Up to six individuals may have received saline solution instead of COVID-19 vaccine on Nov. 30 at SWPH’s mass vaccination site in St. Thomas, officials confirmed to Global News. The health unit says it is working to identify and notify those affected.
On Wednesday, Southwestern Public Health reported:
The most recent deaths were reported Tuesday, Dec. 21 and involved a woman in her 100s from St. Thomas and a woman in her 80s from Oxford County.
Southwestern Public Health says as of Dec. 16, all cases “will be automatically closed after 10 days of a positive result,” regardless of their outcome.
Further details can be found on SWPH’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Of the 328 active cases in the region, 147 were in Elgin County (including 84 in St. Thomas, 20 in Central Elgin and 14 in Aylmer) and 181 were in Oxford County (including 76 in Woodstock, 25 in Ingersoll and 20 in Tillsonburg).
Eleven people were hospitalized with COVID-19, with four in the ICU as of Wednesday.
An outbreak at Caressant Care Bonnie Place in St. Thomas declared Nov. 28 is ongoing. It involves 11 resident cases and nine staff cases. Two deaths are associated with the outbreak.
SWPH is reporting outbreaks at the following schools:
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 6.8 per cent for the week of Dec. 12, up from 4.6 per cent for the week of Dec. 5.
As of Dec. 21, 76.0 per cent of those aged five and older in the region were fully vaccinated while 80.8 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.
On Wednesday, Huron Perth Public Health reported:
The most recent death was reported Nov. 29 and involved a community member connected to a workplace outbreak, according to a spokesperson for the health unit.
Among the 119 active cases, 23 were in North Perth, 26 were in Stratford, 22 in North Perth and 16 in St. Marys. Full case counts by the municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.
There were three people hospitalized with active COVID-19 and six cases currently hospitalized. HPPH is now reporting the numbers separately, with “all currently hospitalized” including the active cases and cases deemed non-active who are in hospital. There were also two cases case involving health-care workers as of Wednesday.
HPPH has nine active outbreaks involving eight schools and one workplace:
No further information was provided about the workplace outbreak.
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.
As of Dec. 19, 82.1 per cent of residents aged five and older have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while 77.4 per cent are fully vaccinated. Third dose coverage stands at 15.7 per cent.
The region’s test positivity rate was 3.8 per cent for the week of Dec. 12, down from 4.5 per cent for the week of Dec. 5.
Information on how and where to get a vaccine can be found on the health unit’s website.
On Wednesday, Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported:
The most recent death was reported Tuesday, Dec. 21. No further information was provided.
As of Wednesday, there were 14 COVID-19 patients in the care of Bluewater Health.
LPH is reporting nine active outbreaks, seven of which are at unidentified workplaces.
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 was 6.8 per cent for the week of Dec. 12, up from 3.6 per cent for the week of Dec. 5.
Among area residents aged five and older, 80 per cent have had at least one dose while 76 per cent have had two doses. Fourteen 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
by 980 CFPL
