COVID-19: MLHU reports 1 death, 86 cases, LHSC has 23 COVID inpatients

Jump to: Hospitalizations – Cases and testing – Outbreaks – Vaccinations – Ontario – Elgin and Oxford – Huron and Perth – Sarnia and Lambton

Hospitalizations

London Health Sciences Centre reported Friday that it was caring for 23 inpatients with COVID-19, a decrease of four from Thursday, with five or fewer in adult critical care.

LHSC says five or fewer of its COVID-19 inpatients are in Children’s Hospital, while zero are in pediatric critical care.

Of the 23 inpatients with COVID-19, 13 are being treated for COVID-19 while 10 are being treated for something other than COVID-19 but were found to have an incidental infection.

At least 167 staff cases are currently active at LHSC, unchanged from Thursday but up from 155 on Wednesday.

At St. Joseph’s Health Care London, officials reported 64 cases among health-care workers and two cases among patients or residents, both of Parkwood Institute Main Building. That compares to 55 health-care worker cases and one patient/resident case on Thursday.

Cases and testing

On Friday, the MLHU reported one death and 86 new lab-confirmed cases.

The death involved a woman in her 60s not associated with a long-term care or retirement home. So far in March, there have been eight COVID-19-related deaths in the region.

Due to changes in eligibility for PCR testing, daily case counts are not considered a fully reliable reflection of COVID-19 activity in the region.

The health unit says there have been 32,991 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. At least 692 are active (an increase of 18) while 31,944 have resolved (an increase of 128).

A total of 355 deaths have been reported (an increase of one).

The test positivity rate for the week of March 6 was 17.5 per cent, up sharply from the revised 11.5 per cent a week prior. This also marks the highest the rate has been since the end of January.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit says individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms should consider themselves to be positive for COVID-19 and self-isolate.

The health unit has provided information on what to do if you develop symptoms, test positive on a rapid test or PCR test or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive.

Outbreaks

LHSC has one active outbreak in the entire floor of University Hospital’s U8 General Surgery, declared Feb. 28, involving 13 patient cases and 15 staff cases.

LHSC updates its outbreak data on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, unless an outbreak is declared or resolved.

Additionally, the MLHU is reporting the following active institutional outbreaks:

Chelsey Park, fourth floor – A, B and C wings, declared March 4Chelsey Park Retirement Community, facility-wide, declared March 4Longworth Retirement Residence, first and second floors, declared March 17Middlesex Health Alliance (Four Counties – acute care nursing unit), declared March. 12

Vaccinations

As of the end of day March 12, 90.8 per cent of residents aged five and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (unchanged from a week prior), while 87.7 per cent have had two (up from 87.5 the week prior).

For third doses, 50.5 per cent of people five and older have received a booster, up from 50.2 per cent a week earlier. Note that those aged 12 to 17 only became eligible for a third dose as of Feb. 18 and those under 12 are still not eligible.

For children aged five to 11, first-dose coverage stands at 60.3 per cent, up from 60.1 per cent a week earlier, while 44.4 per cent have received two doses.

Further information on vaccination in the MLHU’s region, as well as other COVID-19-related information, can be found on the health unit’s website.

Ontario

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The province reported 615 people in hospital with COVID on Friday, with 193 in ICUs. Last Friday’s figures were 717 and 238, respectively.

Hospitalizations and patients in ICUs are at the lowest seen since late December 2021.

Of the 615 in hospital, 44.5 per cent were admitted because of COVID with the rest admitted for another reason but testing positive for COVID. Of the 193 in the ICUs, 79 per cent were admitted because of COVID.

Ontario also reported 2,502 lab-confirmed cases but that is an underestimate due to testing restrictions amid widespread transmission.

Six more virus-related deaths were also reported for a pandemic total of 12,313.

Elgin and Oxford

Southwestern Public Health issues updates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, barring holidays.

The health unit reported 57 additional lab-confirmed cases on Friday and no new deaths.

The most recent death was reported on Wednesday and involved a man in his 90s from Oxford County, not associated with any outbreak.

There were two COVID-19 hospitalizations on Friday, with one in intensive care.

The test positivity rate for the week of March 6 was 15.2 per cent, up from 10.4 per cent the week prior.

SWPH reported on Friday:

11,610 cases (an increase of 57 from Wednesday)225 active cases (an increase of 15)11,232 resolved cases (an increase of 42; note that SWPH clears all cases after 10 days regardless of outcome)153 total deaths to date (unchanged)

Health unit officials reported one active institutional outbreak at Chartwell Oxford Gardens in Woodstock. Declared March 2, it involves 10 resident cases and three staff cases.

As of March 16, 81.1 per cent of those aged five and older in the region had received two doses of the vaccine, while 83.7 per cent have had at least one dose.

Further information on where and how to get vaccinated can be found on the health unit’s website. The health unit encouraged people to join its Same-Day Vaccination List, which offers any leftover doses due to cancellations or no-shows.

Huron and Perth

Global News is awaiting Friday’s data from Huron Perth Public Health.

On Thursday, Huron Perth Public Health reported one patient in hospital due to COVID-19 with an active case and 20 new lab-confirmed cases in the community.

In total, HPPH has reported 5,912 cases (an increase of 20) and 95 deaths to date (unchanged).

For the week of March 6, the test positivity rate was 11.8 per cent, up from 7.9 per cent a week prior.

HPPH reported 748 total cases among health-care workers since March 2020, an increase of seven from Wednesday.

There are currently four active outbreaks:

Listowel Memorial Hospital, declared March 12 and involving nine patients and one staff memberSpruce Lodge long-term care home in Stratford, declared March 12, involving four residentsGoderich Place retirement home in Goderich, declared March 14, involving 10 residents and three staff membersan unidentified outbreak at a congregate living facility

As of March 14, 84.2 per cent of residents aged five and older have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while 81.1 per cent have received two.

Third-dose coverage stands at 52.5 per cent of those five and older. It should be noted, however, that those under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for a third dose, and those aged 12 to 17 only became eligible for a booster dose as of Feb. 18.

Information on how and where to get a vaccine can be found on the health unit’s website.

Sarnia and Lambton

Bluewater Health reported fewer than five patients in hospital with confirmed COVID-19 as of Friday with one in the ICU.

The region’s average ICU occupancy sat at 38 per cent for the week of March 6.

Lambton Public Health releases case information on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The health unit reported 56 more cases and no deaths on Friday, for a total of 131 deaths and 10,115 cases.

Only one congregate setting outbreak remains active, at Vision Nursing Home long-term care home in Sarnia. It was declared March 7 and involves 11 resident cases and five staff or visitor cases.

The test positivity rate for the week of March 6 was 13.6 per cent, up from 11.6 per cent for the week of Feb. 27.

Among area residents aged five and older, 83 per cent have had at least one dose of vaccine, 80 per cent have had two doses and 49 per cent have had a third dose. Note that those under 12 are not currently eligible for a third dose.

Residents can book and re-book COVID-19 vaccine appointments or find information on vaccine availability at pharmacies using the health unit’s registration page. People can also contact the vaccine call centre at 226-254-8222.

Those who are able to get vaccinated on short notice are encouraged to sign up for Lambton Public Health’s daily Vaccine Standby List.

— with files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues