For the second straight day, the number of COVID-19 cases in the London-area has gone up by five.
The Middlesex London Health Unit reported on Wednesday there were five new confirmed cases locally. One of which involves a resident at an area long-term care facility. Since the start of the outbreak, 595 people in London and Middlesex County have tested positive for the virus. Of those, 105 were people connected to long-term care homes - 62 residents, 43 staff.
Peoplecare Oak Crossing has now declared an outbreak of COVID-19 and is the third long-term care/retirement facility in the London-area with active cases. Outbreaks remain at Chelsey Park Retirement Community and Kensington Village.
Public health officials haven't recorded a death related to the virus in the area since last Friday, leaving the death toll at 57.
The number of people to recover from the virus has gone up by two, with 462 cases now resolved.
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit for Elgin and Oxford counties, reported one new case Wednesday. That is the second day in a row the region has reported a single case. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 82. There has been a total of four COVID-19 related deaths in the two counties, with no new deaths reported since April 22. The number of resolved cases remains at 70.
Provincially, there were less than 200 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 for the fourth straight day.
Public health officials said 190 new infections and 12 deaths were recorded in Ontario over the past 24 hours.
While the numbers are a slight increase over Tuesday's 184 new cases, Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted there is encouraging data.
"29 of Ontario’s 34 [public health units] reported five or fewer #COVID19 cases (a new high), with 19 of them reporting no new cases at all. 154 of today’s 190 new cases, or 81%, come from Toronto, Peel and Windsor, the three regions remaining in Stage 1," Elliott said in a tweet.
In more good news, 29 of Ontario’s 34 PHUs reported five or fewer #COVID19 cases (a new high), with 19 of them reporting no new cases at all. 154 of today’s 190 new cases, or 81%, come from Toronto, Peel and Windsor, the three regions remaining in Stage 1.
— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) June 17, 2020
She also noted the considerable rise in resolved cases with 353 more on Wednesday, to make 27,784 since the start of the outbreak.
Factoring in the latest cases, the province's total now stands at 32,744 and includes 2,550 deaths.
There are currently 383 patients in hospital with the virus, 92 of whom are in intensive care and 65 relying on a ventilator to breathe.
The province continues to increase its daily testing capacity with 24,205 tests conducted over the past 24 hours.
