London cases set another record, health unit admits it can't trace all cases

As new COVID-19 cases in London set another record, the region's health unit says it can now only focus on tracking cases in high-risk settings — such as care homes and hospitals — as the virus spreads in the community "faster than we can test for it and detect it."  

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) reported 638 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, with no new deaths. That number again sets a new record for new daily cases in London since the pandemic began. It's the third consecutive day this week that the daily count of new cases has set a new record. 

On Thursday 496 cases were reported, on Wednesday the total was 378.

With cases rising so quickly due to the Omicron variant, the health unit issued a news release Friday, stating they would no longer be able to trace and report every case. Instead, the health unit will shift its focus to cases and outbreaks in high-risk settings such as retirement communities, hospitals and some congregate living settings. 

"The situation has also led to health unit to recognize that it will not be advised of every new case, nor will every new case even be detected or reported," the MLHU said in a news release. 

The health unit says anyone who develops symptoms such as fever, chills, a new or worsening cough or a decrease in smell or taste should not wait fo the MLHU to contact them, but should instead consider their illness to be COVID-19 and self-isolate. 

Anyone who is vaccinated with two doses and develops symptoms is instructed to isolate, along with others in their household, and to stay in isolation for five days from the time their symptoms started. 

"COVID-19 is now spreading in the community faster than we can test for it or detect it. This means we need to focus our case investigation efforts where they can be most effective," says Dr. Alex Summers, the health unit's acting medical officer of health.

"The Omicron variant requires us to follow a radically different approach to slow transmission in our community. Maintaining physical distance, wearing a mask and limiting time spent with others will slow how quickly it spreads."

The London health unit's new guidance for isolation and testing follows similar changes yesterday outlined by the province's chief medical officer of health. The health unit says the Omicron variant has led to a rapid increase in cases "unlike any seen during the pandemic so far" and creating a demand for testing that exceeds capacity.

By noon on Friday new numbers for hospitalizations were not available. The latest numbers available are from Thursday, when London Health Sciences Centre reported 25 in-patients with COVID-19, with eight of those in critical care.