MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. -- The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 100 new COVID-19 cases Monday, but the overall active cases fell again.

The region has now seen a total of 9,993 cases, with 8,830 resolved leaving 967 active cases – a drop from the more than 1,000 active cases in recent weeks.

Monday's case count marks a slight increase from the weekend, when 90 new cases were reported on Sunday and 82 on Saturday.

No new deaths were reported Monday, leaving that total at 196, but the number of variant cases has risen to 1,561 with another 242 being mutation-positive.

As of Sunday, the seven-day incidence rate per 100,000 dropped to 63.2 for Middlesex-London, compared to 81.3 for all of Ontario. At the peak of the third wave early this month, the region had an incidence rate of 182.1.

MLHU Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie says while the numbers are encouraging, he wants people to remember the recovery is very tentative and we are "not out of the woods" yet.

"I think it's really important to recognize we still have extremely high rates of COVID spread in our community, as high as it has been at virtually any time since the very beginning of the pandemic."

He points out that the departure of many Western University students accounts for a significant portion of the decline in numbers.

As of Monday, the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) has 90 inpatients positive for COVID-19, with 37 in intensive care. Eight staff are also COVID-19 positive.

For the first time in weeks, there are no active outbreaks at any long-term care or retirement homes. However, outbreaks are ongoing at five area schools, two child-care centres and seven Western University residences.

Here are the most recently available numbers from other local public health authorities:

  • Elgin-Oxford – 65 new (two-day total), 160 active, 3,340 total, 3,104 resolved, 76 deaths, 352 variants
  • Haldimand-Norfolk – six new, 271 active, 2,192 total, 1,875 resolved, 41 deaths
  • Huron-Perth – 12 new, 31 active, 1,557 total, 1,474 resolved, 52 deaths, 75 variants
  • Sarnia-Lambton – two new, 75 active, 3,190 total, 3,059 resolved, 56 deaths, 343 variants
  • Grey-Bruce – seven new, 103 active, 1,165 total, 1,057 resolved, five deaths, 232 variants

Across Ontario, 3,520 new infections were reported Monday, a significant drop from daily totals around 4,000 over the weekend.