The province is reporting 2,759 new COVID-19 cases this morning with 31 deaths while Southwestern Public Health is reporting 16 new cases with 19 resolved. There was one new death reported, a female in her 90’s who was a resident of Caressant Care in Woodstock. The death toll is now 78 since the pandemic began.
Six hundred and nineteen of the confirmed cases involve variants of concern, with 94 cases still active.
There are 132 ongoing cases in the health unit’s coverage area with 32 in Woodstock, 27 in Tillsonburg, 26 in St. Thomas, eight in Aylmer and Ingersoll, seven in Norwich, six in West Elgin and East Zorra-Tavistock, four in Blandford-Blenheim, three in Bayham, two in SW Oxford and one each in Central Elgin, Dutton-Dunwich and Zorra.
Four residents and six staff member have tested positive at Caressant Care in Woodstock along with 14 patients and five staff at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital.
Thirteen individuals are hospitalized, five of those in ICU. Of the cases hospitalized since the pandemic began, 34.5 per cent were admitted to the ICU.
Seventy-nine of the cases are individuals under the age of 50, of those 21 are under the age of 20.
The number of resolved cases is 3,398.
Through May 1 – the latest data available from the health unit – 54,861 individuals have been vaccinated by SWPH, with 52,594 of those having received their first dose.
There are 62.4 ongoing confirmed cases per 100,000 population in the SWPH region as compared to 160.8 per 100,000 in the Middlesex-London Health Unit region. The crude rate for St. Thomas is 66.8 cases per 100,000 population and Aylmer has 106.8 cases per 100,000.
The assessment centre at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital undertook 180 tests on Tuesday. The West Elgin Community Health Centre did 34 on Monday.

