Ontario
Ontario reported 2,279 people in hospital wards with COVID-19 Thursday (up by 198 from the previous day) with 319 patients in intensive care units (up by 31).
Last Thursday, there were 965 hospitalizations with 200 in ICUs.
In terms of vaccination status, for those in general hospital wards with COVID-19, 436 were unvaccinated, 96 were partially vaccinated and 1,156 were fully vaccinated. For patients in ICUs, 123 were unvaccinated while 28 were partially vaccinated and 87 were fully vaccinated.
Considering that the majority of Ontarians are vaccinated, those who are unvaccinated are still far more likely to be hospitalized or end up in the ICU than those who are vaccinated, health officials say.
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Ontario reported 13,339 COVID cases on Thursday, however, due to recent testing eligibility changes the province warns the counts are an underestimate of the true spread of the virus in the community.
Elgin and Oxford
Southwestern Public Health reported 12 patients in hospital with COVID-19, down from 18 the day before. Of those, four are in ICU, down from five on Wednesday.
SWPH reported one death Thursday, involving a woman in her 80s from Elgin County. It’s the fourth death reported this week, as the health unit reported the death of a man in his 80s from Oxford County and woman in her 50s from St. Thomas on Wednesday and the death of a man in his 70s from Elgin County on Tuesday.
As for cases, SWPH is reporting:
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7,965 cases (an increase of 137)
1,435 active cases (an increase of 56)
6,413 resolved cases (an increase of 102, note that SWPH clears all cases after 10 days regardless of outcome)
117 deaths (an increase of one)
Read more: More than 400 employees off due to COVID-19 at hospitals in Cambridge, Kitchener and Guelph
There are active outbreaks at the following long-term homes, retirement homes and hospitals:
Valleyview Nursing Home, St. Thomas, declared Dec. 23 and involving 10 resident cases and 17 staff cases
Woodingford Lodge, Woodstock, declared Dec. 28 and involving seven resident cases and seven staff cases
Chartwell Oxford Gardens, Woodstock, declared Dec. 30 and involving eight resident cases and two staff cases
Caressant Care Bonnie Place Retirement Home, St. Thomas, declared Dec. 30 and involving four resident cases and one staff case
Caressant Care Bonnie Place Nursing Home, St. Thomas, declared Dec. 30 and involving three staff cases
Elgin Manor, St. Thomas, declared Dec. 31 and involving four resident cases and one staff case
Beattie Manor Retirement Residence, Wardsville, declared Dec. 31 and involving one resident case
Extendicare, Port Stanley, declared Jan. 2 and involving two resident cases and four staff cases
Secord Trails, Ingersoll, declared Jan. 2 and involving nine resident cases and one staff case
Chartwell Aylmer, Aylmer, declared Jan. 2 and involving four staff cases
Alexandra Hospital, Ingersoll, declared Jan. 3 and involving four resident cases
Caressant Care Nursing Home – Woodstock, declared Jan. 3 and involving one resident case and five staff cases
There are currently no active outbreaks at local schools. More information on school cases can be found on the websites of the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board.
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Read more: Niagara Health pauses mandatory COVID-19 vaccination program due to ‘intensity’ of Omicron
Roughly 6.8 per cent of tests in the region were coming back positive as of the week of Dec. 12.
As of Jan. 4, 76.3 per cent of those aged five and older in the region had received two doses of the vaccine, while 81.3 per cent have had at least one dose.
Walk-in vaccination clinics will be held on Jan. 6 in Port Burwell from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bayham Township Fire Station, 55451 Nova Scotia Line and on Jan. 13 in Straffordville from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Straffordville Community Centre at 56169 Heritage Line.
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 Thursday’s data from Huron Perth Public Health.
Huron Perth Public Health last reported seven patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19, which includes cases where the infection has since resolved, down from eight on Tuesday. As of Wednesday, there were four active cases hospitalized, down from six Tuesday.
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The number of health-care workers with active COVID-19 infections climbed to 15, up from 13 on Tuesday.
In total, HPPH reported:
3,951 total cases (an increase of 61)
944 active cases (an increase of 19)
2,932 recoveries (an increase of 42)
75 deaths to date (unchanged)
There are 12 active outbreaks reported by HPPH, including seven at long-term care or retirement homes:
Hillside Manor, Perth East, declared Dec. 31 and involving two staff cases
Kingsway Lodge, St. Marys, declared Jan. 3 and involving two resident cases and two staff cases
Queensway Nursing home, Bluewater, declared Dec. 31 and involving one resident case and one staff case
Wildwood Care Centre, St. Marys, declared Dec. 27 and involving three staff cases
Exeter Villa, South Huron, declared Jan. 2 and involving one resident case and two staff cases
Maplewood Manor Retirement Home, Huron East, declared Dec. 30 and involving one resident case and one staff case
Seaforth Manor Retirement Home, Huron East, declared Jan. 2 and involving two staff cases
HPPH is reporting five outbreaks at congregate living settings but no further details were provided.
Data on school cases can be found on the websites of the Avon-Maitland District School Board and the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board.
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As of Jan. 4, 82.9 per cent of residents aged five and older have had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose while 78.0 per cent are fully vaccinated. Third-dose coverage stands at 31.0 per cent.
The region’s test positivity rate was 3.8 per cent for the week of Dec. 12. An updated figure is expected this week.
Information on how and where to get a vaccine can be found on the health unit’s website.
COVID-19: WHO urges countries to make 2022 year of vaccine equity
Sarnia and Lambton
Bluewater Health reported 24 patients in hospital with confirmed COVID-19, down from 26 the day before.
On Thursday, Lambton Public Health reported:
6,541 total cases (an increase of 144)
1,326 active cases (an increase of 77)
5,131 resolved cases (an increase of 67)
84 deaths to date (unchanged)
Read more: Quebec says 20K health-care workers off job from COVID-19 as hospitalizations reach record levels
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LPH reported eight active outbreaks as of Thursday, all at long-term care or retirement homes:
Watford Quality Care in Watford, declared Jan. 5 and involving fewer than five resident cases and fewer than five staff cases
Trillium Villa in Sarnia, declared Jan. 3 and involving seven residents and fewer than five staff/caregivers
Marshall Gowland Manor in Sarnia, declared Jan. 1 and involving fewer than five residents and eight staff/caregivers
Afton Park Place in Sarnia, declared Dec. 31 and involving fewer than five residents and five staff/caregivers
Sumac Lodge in Sarnia, declared Dec. 31 and involving 10 resident cases and fewer than five cases among staff/caregivers
Fiddick’s Nursing Home in Petrolia, declared Dec. 30 and involving fewer than five residents and fewer than five staff/caregivers
Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia, declared Dec. 29 and involving fewer than five residents and fewer than five staff/caregivers
Rosewood Retirement Village in Sarnia, declared Dec. 26 and involving fewer than five residents and fewer than five staff/caregivers
All active cases at schools within the Lambton Kent District School Board can be found online, as can cases at schools within the St. Clair Catholic District School Board.
The test positivity rate was 6.8 per cent for the week of Dec. 12, the most recent data available, up from 3.6 per cent for the week of Dec. 5.
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Eighty-one per cent of area residents age five and older have had at least one dose while 76 per cent have had two doses. Twenty-four per cent have had a third dose, health unit data shows.
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 Gabby Rodrigues
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
