Second death in as many days, 20 new COVID-19 cases in Middlesex-London
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is reporting a new death for the second day in a row and 20 new COVID-19 cases Thursday.
The new death, a fully vaccinated man in his 70s, was not associated with a long-term care or retirement home. The death of man in his 70s was also reported Wednesday.
MLHU Medical Officer of Heatlh Dr. Chris Mackie said the death is an important reminder about third doses for those who are eligible.
"The issue here was that this is someone who is eligible for a third dose because of a suppressed immune system, but had not yet had that third dose. And, you know, it's a really important reminder for those in those high-risk groups that we know, based on research, have lower immune response to the vaccine."
Mackie expects a much larger group will soon be eligible for third doses, but a list of who currently qualifies can be found here.
To date, all long-term care residents have received a third dose, and all retirement home residents are expected to be completed this week, meaning roughly 10,000 doses have been administered.
The region now has a total of 14,344 cases and 245 deaths, with 13,998 cases resolved leaving 101 active.
Thursday's count raises the seven-day moving average of daily cases to 12.7, up from 12.1 on Wednesday.
Of the cases with an episode date in the past six weeks, 27.2 per cent are among the fully vaccinated, who also account for 27.6 per cent of hospitalizations and 30 per cent of deaths.
Positivity data updated Thursday for the week ending Oct. 16 shows 6,255 COVID-19 tests were done in Middlesex-London, and 1.1 per cent of those tests were positive. For the same period the provincial per cent positivity was 1.7 per cent.
The London Health Sciences Centre is dealing with six patients with COVID-19, down from nine on Wednesday.
There is one ongoing outbreak in a school in the region at Our Lady of the Pillar Academy, with five cases reported.
REGIONAL COVID-19 COUNTS
Here are the most recently available numbers from other local public health authorities:
- Elgin-Oxford – 17 new, 79 active, 4,551 total, 4,382 resolved, 90 deaths
- Grey-Bruce – one new, 17 active, 2,377 total, 2,333 resolved, 23 deaths
- Haldimand-Norfolk – six new, 31 active, 2,998 total, 2,912 resolved, 48 deaths
- Huron-Perth – one new, 22 active, 2,289 total, 2,201 resolved, 66 deaths
- Sarnia-Lambton – five new, 88 active, 4,112 total, 3,954 resolved, 70 deaths
Across Ontario, health officials reported 413 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths.
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