MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. -- After record-high case counts in recent days, the Middlesex-London Health Unit is reporting just 16 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday and no deaths.

That’s roughly a third of the 45 cases reported Monday, which when reported was the second-highest daily count since the pandemic began in March. The highest single day was originally reported as 46 cases last week.

The new cases bring the total in the area to 1,881, with 1,498 resolved and 76 deaths, leaving 307 active cases in the community.

Health officials have said that new cases are increasingly the result of community spread, not part of ongoing outbreaks at the London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) University Hospital.

The hospital is reporting a total of 72 patients and 61 staff have tested positive as a result of the outbreaks as of Tuesday. That’s one new patient case and one new staff case in the past 24 hours. The total number of deaths held at 13.

In terms of active cases, 57 patients – seven in critical care – and 52 staff are currently positive for the illness.

Outbreaks continue at St. Maguerite d’Youville Catholic School and two residences at Western University, though there have been no new cases reported recently associated with the outbreaks.

However, the Thames Valley District School has reported five new cases in London-area schools.

Here is where the cases stand in the region based on the most recent publicly available data, no new deaths were reported Tuesday:

  • Elgin-Oxford – eight new, 90 active, 648 total, 550 resolved, eight deaths
  • Haldimand-Norfolk – four new, 27 active, 686 total, 622 resolved, 32 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton – seven new, 25 active, 434 total, 384 resolved, 25 deaths
  • Grey-Bruce – four new, 26 active, 371 total, 345 resolved, no deaths
  • Huron-Perth – 17 new, 54 active, 410 total, 337 resolved, 19 deaths

Across Ontario there was a dip in cases, with fewer than 1,700 infections reported just a day after a new record was set.