The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in London and Middlesex County has gone up by five.
The Middlesex London Health Unit reported the new cases on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases in the region since the outbreak began to 436. None of the new cases were in long-term care homes, but one was confirmed in a resident of a local retirement home.
To date, area retirement homes have accounted for 48 of the cases – 34 among residents and 14 among employees. There have been 86 cases in total at long-term care facilities across the region – 53 residents and 33 staff members tested positive for the virus.
For the second day in a row, there were no additional deaths reported. The London-area's death toll from COVID-19 stands at 42.
The London Health Sciences Centre currently has 26 patients in its care diagnosed with COVID-19. Eight of those patients are listed as being in intensive care. The hospital remains outbreak free.
Public health officials noted 284 of the people previously confirmed to have COVID-19 have since recovered.
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit for Elgin and Oxford counties, reported two new cases and no additional deaths on Wednesday. Its total number of confirmed cases is now 62, with four deaths. Thirty-four of the cases have been resolved.
Ontario health officials reported the number of new cases dropped back below 400.
There were 399 newly confirmed cases and 48 more COVID-19 related deaths in the province in the last 24 hours. Ontario has seen a total of 19,121 cases of the virus and 1,477 deaths.
New case numbers were below 400 both Monday and Tuesday before rising to 412 on Wednesday.
The hardest-hit age group continues to be people over 80, with 1,035 deaths. Long-term care homes across the province have reported 1,111 deaths. There are currently 225 COVID-19 outbreaks at Ontario nursing homes.
A total of 3,131 health-care workers have become infected with the virus.
According to the daily epidemiologic summary, 1,033 people battling COVID-19 are in hospital. Of those, 220 are in the intensive care unit, 155 with ventilators to help them breathe.
A total of 13,569 people who contracted the virus have since recovered in the province.
