The province is reporting 1,546 new COVID-19 cases this morning with nine deaths while Southwestern Public Health is reporting 17 new cases. Fourteen cases were resolved. St. Thomas had five new cases, with single cases in Central Elgin and Dutton-Dunwich.
Forty-seven of the confirmed cases involve variants of concern, with 21 cases still active.
The death toll remains at 67 since the pandemic began.
There are 78 ongoing cases in the health unit’s coverage area with 33 in Woodstock, 13 in St. Thomas, nine in Central Elgin and Ingersoll, five in Tillsonburg, three in East Zorra-Tavistock, two in Aylmer and one each in Bayham, Dutton-Dunwich, SW Oxford and Norwich. At the beginning of last week, St. Thomas had just three cases.
Three individuals are hospitalized with one of those in ICU. Of the cases hospitalized since the pandemic began, 35 per cent were admitted to the ICU.
One staff member has tested positive at Arches Transitional Bed Program in Woodstock.
Fifty-eight of the cases are individuals under the age of 50, of those 19 are under the age of 20.
The number of resolved cases is 2,571.
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 36.9 ongoing confirmed cases per 100,000 population in the SWPH region as compared to 36.3 per 100,000 in the Middlesex-London Health Unit region. The crude rate for St. Thomas is 33.4 cases per 100,000 population and Aylmer has 26.7 cases per 100,000.
The assessment centre at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital undertook 154 tests on Sunday.
