The region’s total case count stands at 12,660, with 12,373 recoveries, 59 active cases and 228 total deaths — the most recent involving a man in his 50s and a woman in her 90s reported on Tuesday.
The total number of cases involving a variant of concern sits at 3,531. The number of cases involving the Delta variant jumped to 55 from 37 on Tuesday.
The breakdown of known variant cases is as follows:
3,369 cases of the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), first identified in the U.K.
99 cases of the Gamma (P.1) variant, first identified in Brazil
55 cases of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant, first identified in India
two cases of the Beta (B.1.351) variant, first identified in South Africa
one case of the Kappa (B.1.617.1) variant, first identified in India
one case of the Zeta (P.2) variant, first identified in Brazil
There is also one case listed only as B.1.617 and one case listed as B.1.617.3.
A total of 11,442 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in London since the pandemic began, while 363 have been in Middlesex Centre and 334 in Strathroy-Caradoc.
On Tuesday, the MLHU released updated vaccination data, dated to the end of day on July 10.
The health unit says 559,109 doses have been administered in the region. For those age 12 and older, 77.8 per cent have had at least one dose, while 46.3 per cent have had two doses.
Ontario is reporting 153 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the sixth straight day cases are below 200, bringing the provincial total to 547,562.
According to Wednesday’s report, 28 cases were recorded in Toronto, 23 in Waterloo Region, 20 in Grey Bruce, 19 in Peel Region,12 in Middlesex-London and 10 in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph.
All other local public health units reported fewer than 10 new cases in the provincial report.
One person is hospitalized with COVID-19. They are not in the ICU.
The number of variant of concern cases is unchanged at 826, with 755 of those listed as the Alpha variant, 48 the Beta variant and 23 the Delta variant.
There were no active institutional outbreaks reported in the region.
The region’s test positivity rate was 0.6 per cent for the week of June 27.
As of July 11, SWPH says 75.5 per cent of its residents aged 12 and older have received at least one dose and 43.4 per cent have had two doses.
All individuals aged 12 and up are eligible to re-book their second appointment through the online booking portal or by phone at 1-800-922-0096 ext. 9.
6:03 Mixed up about mixing vaccines? Doctor answers your COVID-19 questions
Mixed up about mixing vaccines? Doctor answers your COVID-19 questions
Huron and Perth
Huron Perth Public Health reported one new case on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,917.
The number of deaths is unchanged at 57 as are the number of recoveries at 1,850 and the number of confirmed variant cases at 333. Ten cases are currently active.
HPPH is not reporting anyone as currently hospitalized with COVID-19.
The region’s test positivity rate was 0.9 per cent for the week of June 27.
HPPH’s vaccine dashboard reported that 75 per cent of those age 12 and older have had at least one dose, while 49.6 per cent are fully vaccinated, as of July 12.
Lambton Public Health reported no new cases but one death on Wednesday.
The region’s total case count is unchanged at 3,626. The number of deaths now stands at 65, while the number of recoveries has climbed by two to 3,555.
The region’s variant case tally is still unchanged from Monday at 667.
According to Bluewater Health, one patient in their care is confirmed to have COVID-19.
The region’s test positivity rate was 0.8 per cent for the week of June 27.
Residents can book and re-book COVID-19 vaccine appointments using the health unit’s registration page. People can also call the vaccine call centre at 226-254-8222.
Some pharmacies are also continuing to offer Pfizer or Moderna shots.
Lambton Public Health says 74.2 per cent of adults have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 54.4 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated.
—With files from Global News’ Kelly Wang and Gabby Rodrigues.
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
