A London man has died of COVID-19 as public health officials across the region report new cases Saturday.
CBC London has learned that a man in his 70s, who had previously been admitted to hospital, has died. It’s the first death in the Middlesex-London region since the pandemic was declared.
Two new cases of the virus were reported by the Middlesex-London Health Unit Saturday, bringing the total number of positive cases in the city to 25.
Public health officials say a man in his 50s and a man in his 60s have contracted the virus, but details have not yet been released regarding how the men were infected or whether they’re in hospital or self-isolation.
Meanwhile, Huron Perth Public Health officials have confirmed three new cases in the area, including a healthcare worker.
She is in her 40s, from St. Marys, and had no travel history or known contact with any confirmed case. She’s currently in self-isolation at home.
A man who presented at South Huron Hospital, and has since been transferred to London Health Sciences Centre, also tested positive. He’s in his 60s and has no travel history or known contact with positive cases.
Another man with close contact to two Londoners already diagnosed with the virus, has also tested positive. He’s in his 60s and is in self-isolation at home in Stratford.
Huron Perth currently has five cases, including a man in critical condition in hospital.
Oxford and Elgin counties, and the city of St. Thomas have not yet reported Saturday on whether there are new cases. As of Friday, there were five cases in that area.
More people in hospital
As the number of positive cases grow, so do hospital admissions. The London Health Science Centre said there are four people, two at University Hospital and two at Victoria Hospital in intensive care units.
Across Ontario, the number of confirmed COVID-19 patients in intensive care units has doubled in less than two days.
There were 43 patients hospitalized in Ontario’s ICUs on Friday, up from 29 on Thursday and 17 on Wednesday, according to figures from the province’s associate chief medical officer of health, Dr. Barbara Yaffe.
