Exactly one week after setting a new single-day record for new COVID-19 cases, the London region has done it again.
The Middlesex London Health Unit logged 378 new infections on Wednesday, the highest number of new cases recorded in the region in one day since the pandemic began. It is the fifth time since last Wednesday, when 228 infections were confirmed, that the region has broken a record for new daily COVID-19 cases. Prior to that, the previous record high for London and Middlesex County was 176, which was reported on April 14, during the peak of the third wave.
While daily case counts over the past week have been setting records, public health officials believe the number of cases being reported is likely an underestimation of the true number of people with the virus locally. The reason for this is that demand for lab-based PCR testing has exceeded capacity since December 20, leaving many unable to get tested.
Since the pandemic began 21 months ago, there has been a total of 18,606 confirmed cases in the region.
Another COVID-19 related death was reported in the London-area on Wednesday, the first in nearly two weeks. Public health officials said a woman in her 100s succumbed to the virus. She was not associated with a seniors' facility. Her death increases the local death toll to 258.
Resolved cases rose by 155 to 15,806. There are now 2,542 known active cases in the region, an increase of 225 from Tuesday.
Despite the surging caseload, hospitalizations in the area have remained relatively stable. The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has 22 patients in its care with the virus, up from 17 on Tuesday. Of those in hospital, eight are listed in intensive care and five or fewer are in Children’s Hospital. The figures are nearly identical to those recorded at the start of the month, when community spread was considerably lower.
The number of hospital workers who have tested positive for the virus remained on the rise Wednesday, with 113 infected. That is up from 104 on Tuesday and is more than three times higher than at the same time last week, when the hospital confirmed just 36 staff cases.
Country Terrace in Komoka joins the growing list of area seniors' facilities that have declared outbreaks of COVID-19. There are now ongoing outbreaks at 11 long-term care and retirement residences, 14 schools, two Western University residences, and two daycare centres. A previous outbreak at Wee Watch Dream Weavers Daycare has been deemed over.
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit for Oxford and Elgin counties, has not provided a COVID-19 case update since last Friday.
Ontario set a new record for the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in a single day.
A total of 10,436 new infections were confirmed over the past 24 hours, up from Tuesday’s 8,825, Monday’s 9,418, and Sunday's 9,826. Wednesday's figures mark the highest single-day caseloads have been in Ontario during the pandemic. The previous record high of 10,412 was reported on Christmas Day.
The seven-day average caseload is now 9,183, up from 3,520 a week ago.
Of the latest 10,436 new cases, 1,514 were among unvaccinated people, 425 involved partially vaccinated people, 8,221 were fully vaccinated individuals, and 276 had unknown vaccination status.
Ontario’s total case count since the start of the pandemic now sits at 725,841.
According to public health officials, there were three additional deaths related to the virus recorded Wednesday. The official death toll now stands at 10,171.
Hospitalizations in the province stand at 726 COVID-19 positive patients. That is up 270 patients from the previous day. There are 190 people in intensive care, an increase of three since Tuesday.
The latest figures from the Ministry of Health show that of the patients with COVID-19 on general hospital wards, 186 were unvaccinated, nine have had one dose, and 150 were fully vaccinated. Of those in the ICU, 72 are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated and 35 have received both doses.
Resolved cases across the province are up by 3,832 to 638,678. That leaves 76,992 known active cases of the virus in Ontario.
In the last 24 hour period, 59,259 COVID-19 tests were processed. Ontario’s positivity rate is now 26.9 per cent, the highest it has been to date.
The province has administered 26,815,586 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Tuesday night. There are 11.4 million people in Ontario who have received both doses of the vaccine and are considered fully inoculated. Health Minister Christine Elliott announced Wednesday more than 3 million people in the province have now received the booster shot.
