MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. -- The Middlesex-London Health Unit is reporting 47 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, the highest daily total since the pandemic began in March, as the London Health Sciences Centre reports a new outbreak.

The new cases push the area’s cumulative total to 1,927, with 1,546 resolved and 76 deaths, leaving 305 active cases.

The previous record was reported Monday with 46 new cases, the third highest day was also in December, with 43 cases reported last Wednesday.

The spike comes a day after the region reported a drop with just 16 new cases on Tuesday.

It also comes amid the declaration of outbreaks at four London schools where additional cases indicated the possibility of transmission within the school community. To date, London-area schools have seen 72 COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile the outbreaks at the London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) University Hospital continue to grow, with a new outbreak declared in the 8IP General Surgery Unit, bringing the total number of currently affected areas to eight.

As of Wednesday, LHSC is reporting a total of 73 patients and 66 staff have been affected. That’s one additional patient case and five new staff cases in the past 24 hours. No new deaths were reported, with that total holding at 13.

Of those cases, LHSC says 57 patients, including six in the ICU and 54 staff remain positive.

Two new outbreaks have also been declared in sections of area seniors’ facilities – McCormick Home in London and Country Terrace in Komoka

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

  • Elgin-Oxford – 12 new, 88 active, 660 total, 564 resolved, eight deaths
  • Haldimand-Norfolk – eight new, 38 active, 697 total, 622 resolved, 32 deaths
  • Sarnia-Lambton – seven new, 25 active, 434 total, 384 resolved, 25 deaths
  • Grey-Bruce – six new, 26 active, 378 total, 352 resolved, no deaths
  • Huron-Perth – one new, 49 active, 411 total, 343 resolved, 19 deaths

The province saw 1,890 new infections and 28 new deaths linked to the disease on Wednesday.