Three more people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus while a new outbreak has been declared at a seniors’ facility in the region, officials with the Middlesex-London Health Unit reported on Thursday.
It brings the region’s total case count to 825, of which 687 have recovered, a tally unchanged from the day before. At least 57 people have died, with the most death on June 12.
There are at least 81 known active cases in the region. The health unit says a total of at least 93 cases have been reported overall this month.
The ages and locations of the three cases announced Thursday is unclear.
Health officials on Wednesday reported 12 new cases and two recoveries — the third time in seven days that cases rose by double-digits on one day. Seven cases were reported on Tuesday along with one recovery, while five cases and two recoveries were reported on Monday.
So far, at least 764 cases have been reported in London during the pandemic, while 29 have been in Strathroy-Caradoc. At least 14 cases have been in Middlesex Centre, seven have been in Thames Centre, six in North Middlesex, four in Lucan Biddulph and one in Southwest Middlesex.
Read more:
As coronavirus resurges, ‘now is the time’ to push COVID Alert app: experts
The total number of cases involving elementary and secondary schools in London and Middlesex remains unchanged at one. The case, reported by the health unit on Monday at H.B. Beal Secondary School, involves a student and remained active as of Thursday.
It’s unclear whether any of the three cases reported Thursday, or the 12 cases reported Wednesday, involve post-secondary students.
Nearly 50 Western students have tested positive over the last two weeks, while at least two students from Fanshawe have become infected. Most of the Western cases are linked to gatherings at bars and private residences, health officials say.
Two community outbreaks have been declared in the region since Sept. 13 that are associated with students from the university.
One, dubbed “Western Student Outbreak Alpha,” has been largely linked back to three households, with a gathering at a downtown nightclub, and gatherings at off-campus houses, serving as main infection points. A second outbreak is linked to a large house party held on the weekend of Sept. 12-13.
At least 32 cases have been linked to both incidents, or 17 each. A handful of those cases do not involve Western students.
A third community outbreak was also declared at a northwest London Walmart after three staff members tested positive.
MEDIA RELEASE: Mayor Holder Requests Urgent Expansion of #COVID19 Testing to Pharmacies in #LdnOnt pic.twitter.com/5c8lQd26qP
— Ed Holder (@ldnontmayor) September 24, 2020
Since news of those Western cases first emerged last week, the city’s two COVID-19 assessment centres have been plagued with capacity issues and long wait times — in some instances stretching as long as four hours.
In response, Mayor Ed Holder on Thursday called on the province to expand its plan to begin COVID-19 testing in pharmacies to London.
On Wednesday, the government said that up to 60 pharmacies will begin offering COVID-19 tests to asymptomatic people starting Friday. None of the initial pharmacies are in the London-area.
Read more:
Appointment bookings in the works for October amid massive COVID-19 testing demand in London, Ont.
“While the majority of new cases in recent weeks have been occurring in Toronto, Peel, and Ottawa, I want to make sure the Premier’s office understands the dire need for expanded testing here in London and the immediate surrounding area,” Holder said in a statement.
Holder’s plea comes the same day both of the city’s COVID-19 assessment centres reached capacity and closed before noon for the first time — Carling Heights within an hour of opening.
The health unit said both had hit capacity by 11:50 a.m. Oakridge Arena opens at 9 a.m. while Carling Heights opens at 11 a.m.
The two centres saw a total of 837 clients on Wednesday, beating the previous single-day high of 829 on Sept. 16. Wednesday also marked the second time during the pandemic that both facilities saw more than 400 clients each in one day.
WAIT TIME at CARLING HEIGHTS: The center is closed now due to overcapacity.
WAIT TIME at OAKRIDGE ARENA: The center is closed now due to overcapacity.— MLHealthUnit (@MLHealthUnit) September 24, 2020
Thames Valley Family Health Team, which operates the centres alongside London Health Sciences Centre, in partnership with Middlesex-London EMS, told 980 CFPL this week that it’s working on implementing an appointment booking system that should be in place by early October.
On Wednesday, a ticketing system was introduced at Oakridge Arena so that people who fit the criteria to receive a test could come back at a later time.
Mike McMahon, executive director of Thames Valley Family Health Team, told 980 CFPL on Wednesday that he doesn’t believe there would be enough long-term demand to sustain a third assessment centre “at the behest of the government,” but he would like to have some kind of surge capacity.
Read more:
Low-risk, asymptomatic people should not get COVID-19 tests: Ontario health officials
The region’s running institutional outbreak tally rose by one Thursday after the health unit reported a declared outbreak at Country Terrace, a long-term care home located in Komoka.
It’s the first time since early June that London and Middlesex has seen three active institutional outbreaks at one time.
The latest outbreak, declared Wednesday, encompasses the entire facility of Country Terrace, according to the health unit.
The other two outbreaks remain active at Chelsey Park Retirement Community, declared Sept. 9 on its fourth floor, and at Ashwood Manor Retirement Home, declared on Sept. 21.
It’s not clear how many cases are tied to the three active outbreaks.
At least 30 institutional outbreaks have been declared, including 24 at seniors’ facilities, and have been tied to 194 cases involving residents and staff and 35 deaths.
Read more:
London, Ont., businesses issue plea for local support amid pandemic
The region’s seven-day average for new cases stood at 7.28 as of Thursday. Looking back to Sept. 10, the 14-day average is 6.14.
By age, health unit figures show people in their 20s account for the most number of cases, with 191, or about 23.2 per cent. So far this month, at least 38 of the 93 cases reported in the region have involved this age group.
While people 19 and under make up the sixth-largest group of cases by age — 69 overall — they have accounted for 30 of all cases reported this month.
People in their 50s make up 116 of the region’s cases, or about 14 per cent, while those in their 30s and those 80 and above make up 13 per cent of cases with 111 and 110, respectively.
Current hospitalizations in the region are unclear, as real-time data is not released by either the health unit or the city’s largest hospital system.
A total of 115 have been hospitalized, including 32 who have needed intensive care.
Ontario
Provincially, Ontario reported 409 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and one new death.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says 63 per cent of the new cases are in people under the age of 40.
She says 151 new cases are in Toronto, while 82 were in Ottawa and 46 in Peel Region.
The Ministry of Health says 286 cases were newly marked as resolved in today’s report.
Read more:
Ontario reports 409 new coronavirus cases with most in Toronto-area, Ottawa
The new figures come as Doug Ford’s office says one of the premier’s junior staff members has tested positive for COVID-19.
It says the staffer is part of Ford’s tour team, which organizes his appearances while travelling.
The premier’s office says Ford did not have close contact or prolonged exposure to the staffer and will monitor for symptoms.
Ford is still expected to participate in an announcement today on a new part of his fall pandemic preparedness plan.
Read more:
Staff member of Premier Doug Ford’s tour team tests positive for coronavirus
Elliott’s office has confirmed the announcement will provide spending details related to testing and case and contact management.
The premier has already announced the province will launch a bolstered flu shot campaign in the coming weeks in a bid to preserve hospital capacity.
— With files from Jacquelyn LeBel and The Canadian Press