COVID-19 cases drop, MLHU urges vaccination as doses set to expire
The Middlesex-London Health Unit is reporting two new COVID-19 cases and no deaths Wednesday.
The region has been in single digit cases for several days, but this is the lowest count in more than a month. Two cases were also reported in June 26.
The region now has a total of 12,754 cases and 229 deaths, with 12,476 cases resolved leaving 49 active. There are now 3,592 cases with a variant of concern, including 91 of the more contagious Delta variant.
The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is caring for eight inpatients with COVID-19 with fewer than five in critical care.
The hospital is dealing with the only active outbreak in the region, in its B7-200 Adult Inpatient Mental Health/PICU unit. Fewer than five cases are currently associated with the outbreak.
For the week ending July 25, the London region saw a one per cent positivity rate, slightly above the provincial seven-day average of 0.9 per cent.
The region's positivity climbed slightly at the beginning of July, but has mostly been declining in subsequent weeks.
THOUSANDS OF DOSES TO EXPIRE
Meanwhile the health unit continues to encourage area residents to get vaccinated, saying it has over 21,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine that have been thawed and will expire on Aug. 12. This does not include doses already allocated for those with appointments.
More than 81,000 doses of Moderna have been administered in the region since July 1, but there has been a decline in the number of vaccinations over the last two weeks.
National and local health officials say the mRNA vaccines -- Pfizer and Moderna -- are considered interchangeable.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie said in a statement, “We don’t want this vaccine to go to waste, so we are asking people who aren’t fully vaccinated to join us in the fight against COVID-19 and consider receiving a first or second dose of Moderna.”
REGIONAL COVID-19 COUNTS
Here are the most recently available numbers from other local public health authorities:
- Elgin-Oxford – two new, 15 active, 3,939 total, 3,840 resolved, 84 deaths, 866 variants
- Grey-Bruce – two new, 85 active, 2,085 total, 1,979 resolved, 18 deaths
- Haldimand-Norfolk – one new, nine active, 2,732 total, 2,66957 resolved, 48 deaths
- Huron-Perth – five active, 1,937 total, 1,875 resolved, 57 deaths, 348 variants
- Sarnia-Lambton – one new, six active, 3,637 total, 3,563 resolved, 68 deaths, 675 variants
Ontario health officials reported 158 new infections across the province Wednesday and four new deaths.
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