MLHU reports three new COVID-19-related deaths
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is reporting three new deaths linked to COVID-19, the fourth day in a row multiple deaths were added to the region's total.
Thursday's deaths include two men, one in his 60s and one in his 80s, and a woman in her 90s, none of which were associated with a long-term care or retirement home. Two were unvaccinated, one was vaccinated.
The region's total number of deaths now stands at 310 since the start of the pandemic.
This week, there were two deaths reported on Monday, five on Tuesday and two on Wednesday.
So far in February there have been 10 deaths, while in January there were 46 deaths, making it the second highest since the start of the pandemic. January of 2021 saw the highest number of deaths with 71.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers said the difference between then and now highlights the importance of vaccination.
"We had substantially more cases in Jan. 2022 than we did in Jan. 2021 and yet we had significantly less deaths. Why? Because of the protection the vaccine provides against hospitalization, ICU admission and death."
He added that the Ontario Science Advisory Table shows unvaccinated people have a six-fold higher risk of being in hospital and a 12-fold higher risk of being admitted to ICU in comparison to those that have had two or three doses of the COVID vaccine.
A decline in the number of deaths is expected soon as the number of cases begins to decline.
Meanswhile, the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) says it is caring for 139 inpatients with COVID-19, up from to 136 on Wednesday. There are 25 patients in the Intensive Care Unit and five or fewer at Children's Hospital but none in pediatric Critical Care.
Of those with COVID-19 at LHSC, 86 are being treated for COVID-19 while 53 are being treated for other issues but have also tested positive.
The number of COVID-positive staff is at 192, down from 208 on Wednesday, and there are six active outbreaks at LHSC after one in Victoria Hospital's Adult Mental Health Unit was declared over.
At St. Joseph's Health Care, the number of workers who are positive has risen by one to 77, while the number of positive patients/residents also rose by one to 13. An outbreak at Parkwood Institute is ongoing.
REGIONAL COVID-19 COUNTS
Here are the most recently available lab-confirmed COVID-19 case counts from local public health authorities, though testing changes make these an underestimate of actual cases:
- Middlesex-London – 189 new, 1,734 active, 29,677 total, 27,632 resolved, 310 deaths (three new)
- Elgin-Oxford – 570 active, 10,326 total, 9,616 resolved, 140 deaths
- Grey-Bruce – 69 new, 197 active, 5,640 total, 5,404 resolved, 34 deaths
- Huron-Perth – 37 new, 5,127 total, 86 deaths (one new)
- Sarnia-Lambton – 87 new, 288 active, 8,962 total, 8,564 resolved, 110 deaths (one new)
Huron Perth Public Health declared a new COVID-19 outbreak in the Inpatient Unit at Clinton Public Hospital on Thursday with four patients and two staff affected.
The unit has been closed to new admissions and family and caregiver presence is restricted to palliative patients.
Meanwhile, South Bruce Grey Health Centre has announced that will resume non-emergent and non-urgent procedures on Feb. 8, as per new directives from the province allowing for gradual resumption of those activities.
Across the province, Ontario health officials reported a drop in hospitalizations Thursday and a total of 75 more deaths.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
No sign Canada has a plan to reach NATO defence spending target: U.S. NATO ambassador
The U.S. ambassador to NATO says she has seen no indication that Canada has a plan to reach the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
More seniors are using homeless shelters. Here's why, according to experts
One of the country’s homeless shelters has seen an uptick in the number of people through its doors, including more older adults over 50.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Man or machine? Toronto company finds a way to determine how real audio clips are
The Toronto-based research arm of life sciences technology firm Klick Health has found a way to analyze voices in a manner that’s so granular, it can tell whether it's a person or an artificial intelligence-powered machine.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Apollo Hess, Indigenous swimmer, to take on 2024 Summer Olympics
Getting the call that changes your life can feel like time stops in its track. For one small-town Alberta man, a dream he has been training for since he was a child is coming true and it will take him and his team overseas.