MLHU reports 280 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday

The Middlesex-London Health Unit is reporting 280 new COVID-19 cases, a slight dip from record highs recorded last week.

The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is reporting 280 new COVID-19 cases, a slight dip from record highs recorded last week.

The current record for daily case counts is 355, reported on Dec. 24, it was the fourth day in a row that the region broke its record high for daily case counts. Before the streak, the record high was 176 cases set in mid-April at the peak of the third wave.

Middlesex-London now has a total of 18,225 cases and 257 related deaths (none new), with 15,651 cases resolved leaving 2,317 active. The seven-day moving average has now climbed to 281.1, a new pandemic record.

However, health officials warn the total cases are likely an underestimate, with the demand for PCR testing far greater than capacity and because those with mild or asymptomatic infections may not seek testing.

The rate of active cases is highest among those ages 25-39 with 626.6 active cases per 100,000 and those 18-24 with 602.5 per 100,000.

A total of 42 cases of the Omicron variant have now been confirmed in the region.

The London Health Sciences Centre is reporting it has 17 inpatients with COVID-19, with seven in Critical Care, and 104 staff have tested positive. At St. Joseph's Health Care, five residents have tested positive as part of an outbreak at the Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care, while 26 health care workers, including five at Mount Hope, are positive.