The number of COVID-19 related deaths in the London region has gone up by three.
The Middlesex London Health Unit confirmed on Thursday two men, one in his 40s and another in his 80s, and a woman in her 90s have succumbed to the virus. None of the three were linked to a long-term care or retirement home, the health unit added. There have now been five COVID-19 deaths recorded in London and Middlesex County this week. Two other deaths were added to the official count on Monday. These latest COVID deaths increase the local death toll to 407.
Eighty new COVID-19 cases have also been logged since Monday. The health unit now only updates its COVID-19 dashboard twice a week and daily case tallies are believed to be an underestimate of community spread since the provincial government limited eligibility for PCR testing at the end of December. The total number of cases locally since March of 2020 is now 38,779, according to the health unit.
The number of resolved cases is up to 38,120. Currently, there are 252 known active cases in the region, up from 159 a week ago.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) confirmed on Thursday it has 32 inpatients with the virus in its care, up by six compared to Monday. It is the first time since May 31 there have been more than 30 COVID positive patients admitted to the hospital.
Of the 32 hospitalized, there are 17 being treated for COVID-19 and 15 being treated for other ailments but have also tested positive.
There are currently five or fewer COVID infected patients listed in the intensive care unit, up from zero on Monday. At Children’s Hospital, there have not been any patients with the virus in a week.
There was a rise in the number of hospital workers who have tested positive for COVID-19. The hospital network said it has 102 staffers sick, an increase of 25 since Monday.
An outbreak at Victoria Hospital has been declared over, leaving three level two outbreaks at University Hospital. The active outbreaks are listed on the U4 Medicine high 200s and 300s wing, the U10 SAMU and Palliative Care Unit, and the U4 Medicine 100 and low 200 wings.
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit for Elgin and Oxford counties, reported 64 more COVID-19 cases this week, increasing the local case count since the pandemic began to 14,109. There were no additional deaths recorded, leaving the death toll at 169. Resolved cases rose to 13,863 and there are now 77 known active cases in the two counties.
