LONDON, ONT -- The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is reporting 43 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, the region's highest increase in daily numbers since January.

The London region now has 6,717 cases, with 6,290 resolved and 185 deaths (none new) leaving 242 active cases.

There have been 231 new cases reported in the region over the last seven days.

There are five confirmed variant cases and 69 screening positive. That means there is one new fully confirmed variant but 15 new positive screenings. It takes several days to weeks for a positive screening to be confirmed.

The London region has not seen a rise in numbers this large since Jan. 23, when 45 cases were reported, however it remains a long way off from the daily record of 149 recorded on Jan. 4.

An outbreak at the London Health Sciences Centre's University Hospital remains small, with six patients and fewer than five staff-testing positive, with no new cases reported in recent days.

There are also active outbreaks at four seniors' facilities, Western University's Essex Hall residence and one elementary school.

Two elementary schools in Woodstock, an area handled by Southwestern Public Health, remain closed due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

A new death was also recorded in Sarnia-Lambton bringing their death toll to 48.

Here are the most recently available numbers from other local public health authorities:

  • Elgin-Oxford – seven new, 78 active, 2,723 total, 2,578 resolved, 67 deaths, 50 variants
  • Haldimand-Norfolk – eight new, 67 active, 1,567 total, 1,464 resolved, 39 deaths
  • Huron-Perth – one new, 12 active, 1,402 total, 1,340 resolved, 50 deaths, four variants
  • Grey-Bruce – two new, 42 active, 772 total, 728 resolved, two deaths, 27 variants
  • Sarnia-Lambton – 41 new, 222 active, 2,692 total, 2,422 resolved, 48 deaths (one new), 72 variants

Ontario recorded more than 2,000 new cases for the first time since January on Thursday.

Health officials logged 2,380 new cases of the novel coronavirus, as well as 17 more deaths related to the disease.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said that about 280 of Thursday’s reported cases were “due to a data catch-up process related to the provincial CCM system.”