The Middlesex London Health Unit recorded its second highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a single-day on Thursday.
Six more people succumbed to the virus, the health unit said. The only time during the pandemic when more deaths were reported in a single day was on January 17, 2021 when a record seven people died from the virus.
The latest deaths include four men, two in their 60s, one in his 80s, and another in his 90s, and two women in their 80s and 90s. Only two of the six deaths were connected to a seniors’ facility.
There have now been 280 COVID-19 deaths locally since the pandemic began.
The health unit also logged 239 new cases on Thursday. That is up nine from the previous day’s 230 new cases. However, daily infection tallies aren’t as meaningful since the provincial government limited who can receive a free PCR test at the end of December.
The total number of cases locally since March of 2020 is now 27,026, according to the health unit.
The number of resolved cases is up to 24,157. Currently, there are 2,589 known active cases in the region, down 62 from the previous day.
There are 22 seniors’ facilities dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks locally.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) confirmed on Thursday there are 166 people with COVID-19 admitted to its facilities. That is up slightly from 161 on Wednesday. Of the 166, there are 87 being treated for COVID-19 and 79 being treated for other ailments but who have also tested positive for the virus.
There was a slight decrease in the number of COVID-19 positive patients in the intensive care unit. The LHSC reported 23 in ICU on Thursday, down from 24 the previous two days. There nine children with COVID-19 in the care of Children’s Hospital.
The number of hospital staff who have contracted the virus has gone down to 308, from 311 on Wednesday.
Outbreaks remain on eight units at Victoria and University hospitals.
While the push continues to get everyone triple vaccinated, the health unit has announced it will no longer require appointments for first, second, and booster doses of vaccine at the clinic at Earl Nichols arena. Those would wish to walk in to receive a shot must arrive one hour before the clinic’s 5 p.m. closing time.
There were 57 new COVID-19 cases logged Thursday in Elgin and Oxford counties. Southwestern Public Health’s total caseload has now increased to 9,441. The death toll is unchanged at 129. The total number of resolved cases stands at 8,466 and there are 846 known active cases locally. An outbreak at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, which was declared on January 7, has been deemed over. It was the hospital’s first outbreak of the pandemic.
Provincially, there was a decline in hospitalizations as 75 COVID-19 deaths were recorded.
The latest figures released by the province on Thursday show there are 4,061 people with COVID-19 admitted to hospitals in Ontario. That is down 71 since Wednesday. Of the COVID-19 positive people in hospital, roughly 55 per cent were admitted because of the virus, while around 45 per cent were initially brought in for some other reason and tested positive for COVID-19.
There are 594 people in intensive care units across the province, up five from Wednesday. Eighty-one per cent of the 594 patients in ICU are there because of the virus.
Thursday’s lower hospitalization figures came on the same day the province announced a three-step plan to gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions across Ontario. On January 31, indoor dining, gyms, shopping malls, and theatres can open to 50 per cent capacity and social gatherings limits will increase to 10 indoors and 25 outdoors. Further restrictions will be eased on February 21 before all measures are lifted on March 14.
Public health officials said there were 7,757 new cases in Ontario on Thursday. That is up from 5,744 infections logged on Wednesday. Public health officials cautioned those numbers are an underestimate of the spread of the virus though, as changes made late last month limit who can get a free PCR test in Ontario.
The province’s total case count since the start of the pandemic now sits at 977,194.
Seventy-five additional deaths related to the virus were reported on Thursday, to bring the death toll up to 10,801. The province noted the 75 deaths occurred over the past 19 days and are just being added to the official count now as part of a data catch-up.
The number of resolved cases rose by 12,578 to 887,023.
In the last 24 hour period, 42,907 tests COVID-19 tests were processed. Ontario’s positivity rate is now around 15.9 per cent, down from 21.4 per cent a week ago.
The province has administered 29,769,719 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as of Wednesday night. More than 91.5 per cent of Ontarians 12 and older have received one dose of the vaccine, while 88.8 per cent have been given a second dose to be considered fully inoculated. Over 5.7 million booster shots have been administered.
