COVID-19: Middlesex-London reports 14 cases, 2 deaths on Monday

Jump to: Hospitalizations – Outbreaks – Schools – Vaccinations and testing – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton

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The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 14 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, as well as the death of a man in his 60s and a woman in her 80s.

The health unit also reported the death of a man in his 90s on Saturday. None of the three deaths were associated with a long-term care or retirement home.

“Of the three individuals that have died in the last few days, two individuals were fully vaccinated. Those individuals were in their 80s and 90s,” acting medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers said Monday.

“The other individual was not vaccinated. They were in their 60s. And again, we grieve with our community with the tragic passing of those individuals.”

Summers added that the two who were fully vaccinated had received a booster dose but did not yet have protection from the booster dose when they were exposed to COVID-19.

“There’s a two-week window after you receive a vaccine where we would not consider you to have received any protection from that vaccine because your immune system is still ramping up. And unfortunately, that was the situation here.”

Summers stressed that while the vaccine is “not perfect” it’s “darn close.”

“Nothing, simply nothing, will reduce your risk of infection, hospitalization, ICU admission or death as much as the vaccine.”

In total, there have been 14,748 cases, including 123 active cases (a decrease of four), 14,373 recoveries (an increase of 16) and 252 deaths.

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

Hospitalizations

London Health Sciences Centre was caring for 19 inpatients with COVID-19 as of Monday. Ten were in adult critical care or the intensive care unit.

On Monday, LHSC chief medical officer Dr. Adam Dukelow explained that, over the past four weeks, roughly two-thirds of LHSC’s COVID admissions have come 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.

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

St. Joseph’s Health Care London reported three non-outbreak cases involving health-care workers.

Outbreaks

A previously reported facility-wide outbreak at Richmond Woods retirement home, declared Nov. 9, was listed as over as of Nov. 21.

Outbreaks are active at the following schools:

• Mary Wright School, declared Nov. 17
• Notre Dame Catholic School, declared Nov. 10

Schools

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

• Kensal Park French Immersion Public School (one case)
• Mary Wright Public School (three cases)
• Medway High School (one case)
• Notre Dame Catholic School (two cases)
• Oakridge Secondary School (one case)
• Princess Anne French Immersion Public School (one case)
• Rick Hansen Public School (two cases)
• Sir Wilfred Laurier Secondary School (one case)
• St. Mark Catholic School (one case)

The following child-care and early years centres have active cases associated with them, says the MLHU:

• Kidzone Day Care Centre (one case)

The health unit says at least 251 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

Vaccination bookings for children age five to 11 will open Tuesday morning, the MLHU confirmed Monday.

As of end of day Nov. 13, 89.7 per cent of residents aged 12 and older have had at least one dose, while 86.7 per cent are fully vaccinated, up from 89.5 per cent and 86.2 per cent, respectively, a week prior.

Since Oct. 10, unvaccinated individuals have accounted for 52.13 per cent of all cases (245 of 470) and 58.33 per cent of all hospitalizations (seven of 12).

Of the nine COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last six weeks, five involved individuals who were unvaccinated, one involved someone partially vaccinated and three involved people who were 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 1.2 per cent for the week of Nov. 7, up from 1.0 per cent for the week of Oct. 31.

Ontario

The province reported 627 cases Monday, of which 282 involved unvaccinated individuals. One death was also reported.

According to Monday’s report, 92 cases were recorded in Toronto, 53 each in Peel Region and Simcoe Muskoka, 38 in York Region, 37 in Sudbury and 35 in Waterloo.

All other local public health units reported fewer than 35 cases.

Among those eligible, 86 per cent are fully immunized.

Elgin and Oxford

Southwestern Public Health reported does not report COVID-19 cases on the weekend. On Monday, it reported:

• 5,165 total cases (an increase of 71 from Friday)
• 162 active cases (an increase of five)
• 4,907 resolved cases (an increase of 65)
• 96 deaths to date (an increase of one)

The death involved a man in his 80s from Elgin County, according to an SWPH official.

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

The most recent death was reported Nov. 9 and involved a woman in her 50s from Elgin County. It was the fourth death reported in a two-week span.

Of the 162 active cases in the region, 91 were in Elgin County (including 34 in Aylmer, 31 in St. Thomas and 19 in Bayham) and 71 were in Oxford County (including 35 in Woodstock and 23 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 five in the ICU as of Monday.

SWPH is reporting an outbreak at Aylmer Retirement Residence involving seven resident cases and one staff case.

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 5.8 per cent for the week of Nov. 7, up from 5.1 per cent for the week of Oct. 31.

As of Nov. 21, 84.6 per cent of those aged 12 and older in the region were fully vaccinated while 87.2 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

Huron Perth Public Health does not report on the weekends.

On Monday, HPPH reported:

• 2,494 total cases (an increase of 15 from Friday)
• 44 active cases (a decrease of one)
• 2,381 recoveries (an increase of 16)
• 69 deaths to date (unchanged)

The most recent death was reported on Nov. 16. HPPH also reported a death on Nov. 15.

Among the 44 active cases, seven each were reported in South Huron and Perth East. Full case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.

There were two people hospitalized with COVID-19 and zero active cases involving health-care workers, as of Monday.

HPPH reported one outbreak involving an unidentified workplace as of Monday.

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 3.2 per cent for the week of Nov. 12, up from 2.7 per cent for the week of Oct. 31.

HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Nov. 22, 83.1 per cent of those aged 12 and older were fully vaccinated while 85.6 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 Monday, Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported:

• 4,323 total cases (an increase of seven)
• 40 active cases (unchanged)
• 4,209 resolved cases (an increase of seven)
• 74 deaths (unchanged)

LPH’s last reported death was Nov. 17, involving someone in their 80s who died in hospital. No further information was provided.

Five COVID-19 patients were in the care of Bluewater Health as of Monday.

LPH is reporting two active outbreaks:

• Bluewater Health hospital, declared Nov. 18 and involving fewer than five patient cases and fewer than five staff cases.
• A workplace outbreak declared Nov. 9, involving three cases.

A previous outbreak at Brigden Public School, declared Nov. 4 and involving eight cases, was listed as over as of Nov. 20.

A previous workplace outbreak, declared Oct. 31, involving four cases, was listed as over as of Nov. 19.

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. 7 was 2.2 per cent, down from 3.8 per cent the week prior.

Among area residents aged 12 and older, 81.6 per cent are fully vaccinated and 84.3 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’ Kelly Wang and Gabby Rodrigues