A woman is given a nasal swab test for COVID-19. File photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / dolgachovA woman is given a nasal swab test for COVID-19. File photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo / dolgachov
London

London-Middlesex records highest ever COVID-19 case jump

There has been another surge of new COVID-19 cases in the London-area, smashing a previous single-day record case jump set last month.

The Middlesex London Health Unit reported 38 new infections on Tuesday. That is up from 33 on Monday and is the region's biggest case increase since the pandemic began. The previous record spike was on November 8 when 37 cases were confirmed.

The total caseload for the area now stands at 1,651.

Two more deaths were reported since Monday - a woman in her 80s and a man in his 70s. Health officials have confirmed one of the two deaths is linked to an ongoing outbreak at University Hospital. The region has only twice reported two deaths in a single day, once last Friday and on May 12. The COVID-19 death toll is now 69.

A new outbreak was declared Tuesday at St. Marguerite d’Youville Catholic School in London after a second person at the school tested positive. The latest case appears to be linked to the first case at the school, which was reported on Saturday.

Six units at the London Health Sciences Centre's (LHSC) University Hospital continue to deal with an outbreak, as does a unit at the Parkwood Institute. The LHSC reported 35 employees and 48 patients have tested positive for the virus.

Recoveries in London and Middlesex County are up to 1,395, leaving 187 cases active.

Southwestern Public Health, the health unit for Elgin and Oxford counties, reported eight new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. That is up from six on Monday and raises the two counties' total case count to 563. Fourteen more people recovered from the virus over the last 24 hours. That puts the total number of resolved cases at 493. The death toll is unchanged at six, with no additional deaths reported in nearly a week. The region's number of active cases stands at 64.

Ontario reported 1,707 new cases on Tuesday, down slightly from Monday’s 1,746 new infections.

Toronto led the way for the most new cases with 727. The city was followed by Peel with 373 and York Region with 168.

Ontario’s total number of cases now stands at 118,199.

Seven more people died from the virus across the province, increasing the death toll to 3,663. six of the 14 deaths reported Tuesday were linked to long-term care homes.

Public health officials said 1,373 more people recovered from the virus, bringing the resolved case total to above the 100,000 mark to 100,012.

The number of active cases of the novel coronavirus in Ontario is currently 14,524. Of those, 645 are in hospital – 185 in the intensive care unit and 112 on ventilators to assist with breathing.

In the last 24 hour period, over 34,600 COVID-19 tests were processed. More than 34,000 tests remain in the backlog.

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