The province is reporting 4,227 new COVID-19 cases this morning with 18 deaths while Southwestern Public Health is reporting 24 new cases. Sixteen cases were resolved. There were eight new cases in Aylmer, six in St. Thomas and one each in Bayham and Central Elgin.
One hundred and eighteen of the confirmed cases involve variants of concern, with 35 cases still active.
The death toll is 69 since the pandemic began.
There are 123 ongoing cases in the health unit’s coverage area with 36 in Woodstock, 24 in St. Thomas, 19 in Aylmer, eight in Tillsonburg, six in Dutton-Dunwich, Ingersoll and SW Oxford, three in Bayham, Central Elgin, Norwich and Zorra, two in Blandford-Blenheim and East Zorra-Tavistock and one each in Malahide and Southwold.
One resident and one staff member at Caressant Care, Bonnie Place in St. Thomas have tested positive as have two staff at Metcalfe Gardens in St. Thomas.
Five individuals are hospitalized, two of those in ICU. Of the cases hospitalized since the pandemic began, 34.1 per cent were admitted to the ICU.
Seventy-eight 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 2,768.
Through March 27 – the latest data available from the health unit – 11,549 individuals have been vaccinated by SWPH, with 9,577 of those having received their first dose.
There are 58.2 ongoing confirmed cases per 100,000 population in the SWPH region as compared to 195.5 per 100,000 in the Middlesex-London Health Unit region. The crude rate for St. Thomas is 61.7 cases per 100,000 population and Aylmer has 253.6 cases per 100,000.
The assessment centre at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital undertook 299 tests on Wednesday. The West Elgin Community Health Centre did 61 on Wednesday.
