Public health officials in London and Middlesex County are reporting another slight increase in COVID-19 cases, as area assessment centres continued to be flooded by those seeking tests.
The Middlesex London Health Unit said Monday that five more people have tested positive for the virus. That is down from Sunday's seven new infections but up from four on Saturday.
"That brings us to 16 over the last three days. The three days prior to that, we had amassed 30 cases. We're trending in the right direction, but this is no time to let our guard down," London Mayor Ed Holder tweeted.
Since the start of the pandemic, the region has seen a total of 805 COVID-19 cases.
The health unit reported Monday morning the line-up for testing at London's two assessment centres was again a long one. By 11 a.m., there was a four-hour wait at the Carling Heights assessment centre and a three-hour wait at the Oakridge Area assessment centre. This is the second straight week the two facilities have been overwhelmed with vehicles lined up for blocks before opening.
Two more people previously diagnosed with COVID-19 in the area have since recovered, bringing the total number of resolved cases up to 684. The death toll was unchanged at 57, with no additional COVID-19 linked deaths in the region since June.
Currently, there are 64 active cases in London and Middlesex.
In Elgin and Oxford counties, there haven't been any new COVID-19 cases since last Thursday. Southwestern Public Health, the region's health unit, said the area's case count remained at 263 on Monday. The number of resolved cases continues to be 248. Since the pandemic began, there have been five deaths related to the virus. However, no additional deaths have been reported in the two counties in more than two months.
Ten active cases remain in the region.
Provincially, novel coronavirus infections surged to levels not seen in more than three months.
Public health officials reported 425 new COVID-19 cases on Monday. That is the largest increase of new cases to be recorded in a single day since June 2, when nearly 450 infections were reported in Ontario.
Many of the new cases came from Toronto. The city logged 175 new cases, while Peel reported 84, and Ottawa had 60.
Sixty-seven per cent of Monday's cases were among people under the age of 40.
The continued case spike comes just two days after Premier Doug Ford expanded a recently reintroduced cap on social gatherings to include the entire province. Under the order, gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors for the next 28 days.
Ontario's total case count is now 47,274.
Two more people succumbed to the virus over the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll up to 2,829. Recoveries are up to 41,146.
The number of infected Ontarians requiring hospitalization is at 65. Of those, 22 are in the intensive care unit and 12 are relying on ventilators to breathe.
In the last 24 hours, more than 31,700 additional COVID-19 tests were conducted in Ontario.