Health unit: new numbers offer accurate picture of hospitalizations

Southwestern Public Health was reporting Wednesday, Jan. 19, that 48 residents of Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford were hospitalized with COVID-19, an increase from 27 the previous day.

The number of patients reported to be in intensive care units doubled to eight from four.

SWPH Communications Manager Megan Cornwell said the higher numbers reflected a change in how the health unit collected data from local hospitals, and now represented an accurate picture of hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions related to COVID-19.

Across the province, 4,132 Ontarians were hospitalized on Thursday, down from 4,183 on Wednesday, but the number in intensive care units rose to 589 from 580.

The health unit also announced that 86 new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed on Wednesday, down from 90 a day earlier, and that it was tracking 880 ongoing cases in its area, down from 911.

Local ongoing cases include 242 in St. Thomas and area, 62 in Aylmer and Malahide, 35 in Central Elgin, 23 in West Elgin, 18 in Dutton Dunwich, nine in Bayham and seven in Southwold.