COVID-19: Middlesex-London Health Unit reports 11 cases Friday

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 11 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, though the total case count increased by 12.

The MLHU is reporting a total of 14,463 cases, including 131 active cases (an increase of four), 14,087 recoveries (an increase of eight) and 245 deaths (unchanged).

The most recent death was reported Oct. 21 and involved a man in his 70s who was not associated with a long-term care or retirement home and who was fully vaccinated but eligible for a third dose due to a suppressed immune system.

Of the 131 active cases, 46 involve kids 11 or under, a cohort that is not yet eligible for vaccination. The rate of active cases among that age group is 71.4 per 100,000 population.

The next highest rate of active cases involves those aged 12 to 17, at 33.3 cases per 100,000 population (or 11 active cases).

Since Sept. 12, the MLHU says all of the variant of concern cases in the region have been the Delta variant except for one case in which they were unable to generate sequencing. Total counts by the type of variant of concern can be found on the health unit’s summary of COVID-19 cases in Middlesex-London page and clicking the “Case Status” tab.

Hospitalizations

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) was caring for six inpatients with COVID-19 as of Friday, unchanged from Thursday.

There were five or fewer inpatients in adult critical care or the intensive care unit.

There were zero in patients with COVID-19 in Children’s Hospital and, as a result, zero in pediatric critical care.

Five or fewer staff have currently tested positive for COVID-19.

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

Outbreaks

The MLHU is not reporting any active outbreaks in the region involving long-term care homes, retirement homes or hospitals.

The MLHU is reporting that the following schools are experiencing outbreaks:

• Clara Brenton Public School, declared Oct. 23
• Covenant Christian School, declared Oct. 23
• St. Nicholas Senior Catholic School, declared Oct. 24
• Wilberforce Public School, declared Oct. 28

A previous outbreak declared Oct. 18 at Our Lady of the Pillar Academy was declared over Oct. 28.

Schools

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

• Byron Somerset Public School (one case)
• Clara Brenton Public School (two cases)
• Covenant Christian School (five cases)
• John P. Robarts Public School (one case)
• Kensal Park Public School (two cases)
• Lord Dorchester Secondary School (one case)
• Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School (two cases)
• Mountsfield Public School (one case)
• Oakridge Secondary School (one case)
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School (one case)
• Our Lady of the Pillar Academy (one case)
• Providence Reformed Collegiate (one case)
• St. Nicholas Senior Catholic School (three cases)
• Wilberforce Public School (five cases)
  

There is only one active case associated with child-care or an early years centre, at Kidventures in London.

The health unit said at least 182 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

As of the end of day on Oct. 23, 84.9 per cent of eligible residents were fully vaccinated while 88.8 per cent have had at least one dose.

When it comes to COVID-19 cases, MLHU data shows most cases involve individuals who have not been vaccinated, even though they make up a smaller proportion of the population.

Since Sept. 17, unvaccinated individuals have accounted for 60.5 per cent of all cases (or 366 of 605 cases) and 69.54 per cent of all hospitalizations (16 of 23).

The rest of the cases and hospitalizations involved individuals who were fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated or not yet protected by vaccination.

Of the eight COVID-19-related deaths reported in the last six weeks, three involved people who were unvaccinated, two involved individuals who were fully vaccinated, two involved people who were partially vaccinated and one involved someone who was not yet protected by vaccination.

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 1.8 per cent for the week of Oct. 17, up from 1.1 per cent for the week of Oct. 10.

Ontario

The province reported 419 cases Friday and no new deaths.

Of the 419 cases, 231 involved unvaccinated individuals, 24 were partially vaccinated, 140 were fully vaccinated and 24 people had an unknown vaccination status.

According to Friday’s report, 63 cases were recorded in Toronto, 34 in Windsor, 32 in Peel Region, and 30 in York Region and 30 in Ottawa. All other health units had fewer than 30 cases.

Of those eligible, 84.3 per cent are fully immunized.

Elgin and Oxford

On Friday, Southwestern Public Health reported:

• 4,653 total cases (an increase of nine)
• 79 active cases (a decrease of nine)
• 4,483 resolved cases (an increase of 18)
• 91 deaths to date (unchanged)
• 1,478 variant of concern cases (an increase of eight, all Delta), with 775 Alpha, 649 Delta and 54 Beta or Gamma

The most recent death was reported Oct. 27 and involved a woman in her 70s from Oxford County.

Of the 79 active cases in the region, 36 were in Elgin County (including 21 in Aylmer) and 43 were in Oxford County (including 20 in Woodstock).

Six people are hospitalized with COVID-19 with three cases in the ICU. There are no active institutional outbreaks as of Friday.

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 3.9 per cent for the week of Oct. 17, up from an adjusted 3.5 per cent for the week of Oct. 10.

On Oct. 28, 83.0 per cent of those aged 12 and older in the region were fully vaccinated while 86.5 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

Global News is awaiting data from Huron Perth Public Health for Friday.

On Thursday, Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) reported:

• 2,323 total cases (an increase of eight)
• 31 active cases (an increase of six)
• 2,225 recoveries (an increase of two)
• 67 deaths to date (unchanged)

Among the 31 active cases, 22 are in Perth East. Full case counts by municipality can be found on the health unit’s dashboard.

There is one patient hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday and there were two active cases involving health-care workers.

HPPH is reporting two outbreaks, though there were no long-term care home, retirement home or hospital outbreaks as of Thursday.

The outbreaks involve:

• Huron Christian School in Clinton, declared Oct. 8 and involving seven student cases.
• Milverton Public School in Perth East, declared Oct. 27 and involving one staff case and seven student cases.

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 1.2 per cent for the week of Oct. 17, down from 2.2 per cent for the week of Oct. 10.

HPPH’s vaccine dashboard showed that as of Oct. 24, 81.0 per cent of those aged 12 and older were fully vaccinated while 84.7 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 Friday, Lambton Public Health (LPH) reported:

• 4,168 total cases (an increase of four)
• 46 active cases (a decrease of six)
• 4,051 resolved cases (an increase of 10)
• 71 deaths to date (unchanged)

The most recent death was reported Oct. 28 and involved someone who was in their 90s.

LPH reported a total of 610 variant of concern cases, an increase of two, all Delta. Of those, 439 have been Alpha, 153 have been Delta and 18 have been Gamma.

Three COVID-19 patients were in the care of Bluewater Health as of Friday.

LPH is reporting one active outbreak on Friday at Queen Elizabeth II Public School Petrolia, declared Oct. 22 and involving fewer than five cases.

A previously-reported outbreak at Cathcart Boulevard Public School, declared Oct. 14 and involving fewer than five cases, was listed as over as of Oct. 28.

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 Oct. 17 was 3.8 per cent, down from 5.2 per cent the week prior.

Among area residents aged 12 and older, 80.0 per cent are fully vaccinated and 83.4 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’ Jessica Patton