COVID-19 hospitalizations up

Southwestern Public Health reported 15 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday, May 21, up from 10 the previous day.

The number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit rose as well, to 104 from 102.

In addition, as of Friday, nine Southwestern region residents were hospitalized because of COVID-19, up from seven the previous day. The number in intensive care units remained unchanged at five.

Ongoing cases in St. Thomas and area decreased to 12 Friday from 14 Thursday, in Central Elgin to three from six and in Bayham to two from three.

West Elgin increased to three from one, while Aylmer remained at four.

In Oxford, Woodstock and area rose to 40 from 36, in Norwich to six from four, in Blandford-Blenheim to five from two and in South-West Oxford to two from one.

Tillsonburg and area dropped to 17 from 18 and Ingersoll and area to one from three.

Zorra remained at eight and East Zorra-Tavistock at one.

So far this year, Southwestern had identified 720 cases involving “variants of concern” considered more contagious and/or creating more severe symptoms than the original strain of COVID-19.

Of those, 632 have been resolved and 88 are ongoing.

The infection rate for the Southwestern area stands at 49.2 cases per 100,000 of population, up from 48.2 on Thursday.

Across Ontario, 1,890 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Friday, down from 2,400 on Thursday.