COVID-19 ICU admissions fall as staff infections soar in London, Ont., on Monday

The number of staff at Southwestern Ontario's largest hospital network who have contracted COVID-19 continues to rise, while critical care patients fall.

The London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) reported 44 inpatients with COVID-19 on Monday, unchanged from Friday. The number of patients in ICU beds now five or fewer.

Of the total, the hospital network said:

The number of staff who have tested positive for the virus is up to 232, an increase of 81 from a week ago. Staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 are isolating.

There are three ongoing outbreaks at University Hospital. For details on the units that are impacted, visit the LHSC's outbreak reporting page.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported another 50 COVID-19 cases among people in high-risk jobs or settings on Monday. The seven-day rolling average for daily high-risk cases remains steady at 56.

There have been no new COVID-19-related deaths reported since Feb. 23. The death toll for Middlesex-London in February was 49. There have been 349 total deaths since the pandemic began.

Ontario reported 849 people with COVID-19 in the province's hospitals, as ICU admissions fell below 300 for the first time since Jan. 5. The number of patients who required intensive care is 279, 18 fewer than on Friday.

The Ministry of Health reported three more COVID-19-related deaths across Ontario, bringing the death toll to 12,433 since the pandemic began.