The province is reporting 1,699 new COVID-19 cases this morning with three deaths while Southwestern Public Health is reporting 28 new cases since Friday. Nineteen cases were resolved. St. Thomas had five new cases over the weekend, Central Elgin had three and there was a single new case in Bayham. Forty-one of the confirmed cases involve variants of concern.
The death toll remains at 67 since the pandemic began.
There are 75 ongoing cases in the health unit’s coverage area with 38 in Woodstock, 10 in Central Elgin, nine in St. Thomas, eight in Ingersoll, four in Tillsonburg, two in Aylmer and one each in Bayham, East Zorra-Tavistock, Blandford-Blenheim and Norwich.
Four individuals are hospitalized with two of those in ICU. Of the cases hospitalized since the pandemic began, 35.9 per cent were admitted to the ICU.
One staff member has tested positive at Arches Transitional Bed Program in Woodstock.
Fifty-seven of the cases are individuals under the age of 50, of those 22 are under the age of 20.
The number of resolved cases is 2,557.
Through March 13 – the latest data available from the health unit – 4,134 individuals have been fully vaccinated by SWPH, while 2,500 have received their first dose.
There are 35.5 ongoing confirmed cases per 100,000 population in the SWPH region as compared to 35.3 per 100,000 in the Middlesex-London Health Unit region. The crude rate for St. Thomas is 23.1 cases per 100,000 population and Aylmer has 26.7 cases per 100,000.
The assessment centre at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital undertook 161 tests on Saturday.

