The province is reporting 3,424 new COVID-19 cases this morning with 26 deaths while Southwestern Public Health is reporting 17 new cases with 26 resolved. There are three new cases in St. Thomas, two in Aylmer and Bayham and one in West Elgin.
The death toll remains at 76 since the pandemic began.
Five hundred and thirty-six of the confirmed cases involve variants of concern, with 85 cases still active.
There are 117 ongoing cases in the health unit’s coverage area with 27 in Tillsonburg and St. Thomas, 26 in Woodstock, eight in Norwich, five in Aylmer, East Zorra-Tavistock and Ingersoll, four in Bayham, two in Central Elgin, Dutton-Dunwich, West Elgin, SW Oxford and Blandford-Blenheim.
Three residents and five staff member have tested positive at Caressant Care in Woodstock along with three patients and two staff at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital.
Thirteen individuals are hospitalized, five of those in ICU. Of the cases hospitalized since the pandemic began, 34.1 per cent were admitted to the ICU.
Seventy of the cases are individuals under the age of 50, of those 16 are under the age of 20.
The number of resolved cases is 3,297.
Through April 24 – the latest data available from the health unit – 43,175 individuals have been vaccinated by SWPH, with 41,048 of those having received their first dose.
There are 55.3 ongoing confirmed cases per 100,000 population in the SWPH region as compared to 178.5 per 100,000 in the Middlesex-London Health Unit region. The crude rate for St. Thomas is 69.4 cases per 100,000 population and Aylmer has 66.7 cases per 100,000.
The assessment centre at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital undertook 199 tests on Tuesday. The West Elgin Community Health Centre did 23 last Friday.

