London and Middlesex County have returned to single-digit COVID-19 case increases for the first time in 15 days.
Eight new infections were reported by the Middlesex London Health Unit on Tuesday, down from 25 the previous day. The last time the region saw fewer than ten new cases in a single day was on November 15 when five infections were logged.
The area’s total case count since the pandemic began stands at 14,883.
The area death toll is unchanged at 252, with no additional COVID-19 related deaths reported since November 22.
Resolved cases are up by 11 to 14,479. There are currently 152 active cases locally, down three from Monday.
There are ongoing outbreaks at student residences at Western University and Fanshawe College. Eight students at Western's Saugeen-Maitland Hall have contracted the virus, while three students at Fanshawe's Merlin House Residence have tested positive. These are the first two outbreaks linked to a post secondary institution in the London region since the new school year began in September.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) currently has 19 inpatients with COVID-19 in its care, down one since Monday. Nine of those patients are listed in intensive care and five or fewer are in the care of Children’s Hospital. There are currently five or fewer hospital employees who have tested positive for the virus.
As of Saturday, there have been 816,494 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in the region, which works out to 90.2 per cent of all area residents aged 12 and older having received at least one dose. The percentage of the local population to receive both doses is currently 87.5. Since eligibility for the shot opened up to kids age 5 to 11 last week, more than 10,000 appointments have been booked. Nearly 5 per cent of children in that age group have now received their first dose.
Of the 508 people who have contracted the virus locally since October 19, approximately 46.9 per cent were not vaccinated, 2.5 per cent were partially vaccinated, and 49.8 per cent were fully vaccinated. Another 0.7 per cent had the shot but it had not yet begun offering protection. Of those who were hospitalized with the virus over the past six weeks, 55.6 per cent were either unvaccinated or had received one dose. Just over 44 per cent had received both doses.
In Elgin and Oxford counties, there were 27 more infections confirmed on Tuesday. That brings Southwestern Public Health’s total number of confirmed infections since the start of the pandemic to 5,370. There were no additional COVID-19 related deaths, leaving the death toll at 98. Resolved cases rose to 5,068 with 204 known active cases remaining in the area.
Ontario reached a grim milestone on Tuesday, as the number of COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began hit 10,000.
Three additional deaths recorded over the past 24 hours brought the province to the five-digit number. Ontario recorded its first COVID-19 death - a 77-year-old Barrie man - on March 17, 2020. It now has the second highest death toll from the virus in Canada, behind only Quebec.
Public health officials recorded 687 new infections Tuesday. That is down from 788 Monday and 964 Sunday.
Of the 687 new cases, 310 of the infections reported were among those who had not had a single shot. The partially vaccinated makeup 19 of the new cases, and there were 308 cases involving the fully vaccinated. Another 50 of the cases involved individuals whose vaccination status is unknown.
Ontario’s total case count since the start of the pandemic now stands at 618,490.
There are currently 266 people with COVID-19 being treated at Ontario hospitals, up 121 from Monday. COVID-19 related admissions to intensive care units are up by five to 153 and there are 137 people breathing with the assistance of a ventilator, up six from the previous day. Of those on general hospital wards with the virus, 88 are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. Forty-eight are fully vaccinated.
The number of resolved cases rose by 560 to 601,550. There are currently 6,940 active cases of the virus in Ontario.
In the last 24 hour period, 21,476 COVID-19 tests were processed. The province’s positivity rate is now 3 per cent.
To date, the province has administered 22,978,037 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, with more than 11.2 million people having received both shots required to be fully inoculated.
