The number of new COVID-19 cases in the London region soared to nearly 900 since Friday with a new record high recorded on Christmas Day.
The Middlesex London Health Unit logged 241 new infections on Monday, 276 new cases on Sunday, and an all-time high of 357 new cases on Saturday. Daily case counts have been in the triple-digits for eight consecutive days in London and Middlesex County. The health unit released three days worth of COVID-19 data on Monday as it no longer updates its online dashboard on weekends.
Public health officials noted that the number of cases reported on its COVID-19 dashboard is likely an underestimation of the true number of people with the virus locally. The reason for the underestimation is that demand for lab based PCR testing has exceeded capacity since December 20, leaving many unable to receive a test to confirm the diagnosis.
"Additionally, people with mild or asymptomatic infections may not seek testing," the health unit said.
The area’s total case count stands at 17,950 since the pandemic began.
The death toll remained unchanged at 257. There has not been a COVID-19 related death locally since December 16.
Resolved cases are up by 232 to 15,462. The number of active cases in the city and county went up by 637 since Friday to 2,231 on Monday.
Outbreaks are ongoing at nine local seniors' facilities, 14 schools, two post secondary residences, and three daycare centres.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has not updated its COVID-19 patient count publicly since last Thursday. At the time there were 15 patients with the virus in its care. Six of the patients were listed in intensive care and five or fewer were at Children’s Hospital. The LHSC had 59 staffers who had tested positive for the virus.
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit for Oxford and Elgin counties, has not provided a COVID-19 case update since last Friday.
Provincially, the number of new COVID-19 cases remained above 9,400 for a fourth straight day.
Public health officials reported 9,418 new infections on Monday. That is down from 9,862 on Sunday, 10,412 on Saturday and 9,571 last Friday. A breakdown of the vaccine status of those who have tested positive was not released due to the holiday break.
The latest cases put Ontario’s total case count since the start of the pandemic to 706,580.
Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted that 480 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 in the province, and 176 of those individuals are in ICU. The seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 related patients in ICU is 168, according to Elliott.
She added that 26,494,532 vaccine doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario as of Sunday night. That includes more than 45,000 doses administered on Boxing Day. Over 90 per cent of Ontarians 12 and older have received one dose of the vaccine, while 88 per cent have been given their second dose to be considered fully inoculated.
