The province is reporting 2,169 new COVID-19 cases this morning with 12 deaths while Southwestern Public Health is reporting ten new cases. Thirteen cases were resolved. There were three new cases in St. Thomas and two in Central Elgin.
Fifty-seven of the confirmed cases involve variants of concern, with 20 cases still active.
There was one new death, an Oxford man in his 60s. This death is not related to a long-term care or retirement home.The death toll is now 68 since the pandemic began.
There are 76 ongoing cases in the health unit’s coverage area with 26 in Woodstock, 15 in St. Thomas, nine in Central Elgin, seven in Ingersoll, five in Tillsonburg, four in SW Oxford, three in East Zorra-Tavistock, two in Aylmer and Norwich and one each in Bayham, Dutton-Dunwich and Malahide.
Two individuals are hospitalized, neither in ICU. Of the cases hospitalized since the pandemic began, 34.4 per cent were admitted to the ICU.
Fifty-six of the cases are individuals under the age of 50, of those 20 are under the age of 20.
The number of resolved cases is 2,597.
Through March 20 – the latest data available from the health unit – 6,409 individuals have been vaccinated by SWPH, with 4,497 of those having received their first dose.
There are 35.9 ongoing confirmed cases per 100,000 population in the SWPH region as compared to 47.7 per 100,000 in the Middlesex-London Health Unit region. The crude rate for St. Thomas is 38.6 cases per 100,000 population and Aylmer has 26.7 cases per 100,000.
The assessment centre at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital undertook 250 tests on Wednesday while the West Elgin Community Health Centre conducted 42.
