MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. -- The Middlesex-London Health Unit is reporting 17 new COVID-19 cases Friday, the fourth day in a row of double-digit daily case counts in the region.

Health officials are also reporting a new death, a man in his 70s not associated with long-term care or retirement home.

Two deaths are actually being added to the total Friday, one of which was annnounced on Thursday during the health unit’s virtual briefing as being connected to the outbreaks at the London Health Sciences Centre’s University Hospital.

The new cases mark the 19th day of double-digit counts this month, and bring the total in the region to 1,545, with 1,344 resolved and now 66 deaths, leaving 135 active cases.

On Friday, LHSC announced two more units at University Hospital were now involved in the outbreaks and a rise in cases there, while the health unit declared the outbreak in the orthopedic unit over, leaving six active outbreaks.

MLHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie said Thursday that he’s hoping the hospital will be able to move on, because curbing the outbreak “will substantially change our numbers here locally” as they’ve been a significant contributor.

There are three additional outbreaks in the community, in a unit at the Parkwood Institute and in two residences at Western University.

Here is where the cases stand in the region based on the most recent publicly available data:

  • Elgin-Oxford – 10 new, 53 active, 526 total, 467 resolved, six deaths
  • Haldimand-Norfolk – six new, 43 active, 643 total, 563 resolved, 32 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton – none new, 15 active, 404 total, 364 resolved, 25 deaths
  • Grey-Bruce – 10 new, 55 active, 308 total, 253 resolved, no deaths
  • Huron-Perth – 14 new, 43 active, 307 total, 248 resolved, 16 deaths

On Friday, the province announced several local regions were being moved to new levels under the COVID-19 framework.

Lambton Public Health, the last local region in green-prevent is moving to yellow-protect, while Haldimand-Norfolk is moving from yellow to orange-restrict and Windsor-Essex is moving from orange to red-control.

The measures take effect Monday. A full list of each region's level and the public health measures for each level is available here.

Across Ontario, a record-breaking 1,855 new infections were reported Friday, after a record number of tests were processed.