WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) is reporting 22 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend (Nov. 13 to 15).
The region’s active case count sits at 83 as of Nov. 15, an increase of 13 cases from the 70 total cases reported one week ago.
The case rate per 100,000 population has, as of Nov. 13, risen to 24 from 18.9 reported a week ago.
Also increased is the rate of COVID-19 tests returning positive for the virus, from 1.9% on Nov. 4 to 3% as of Nov. 11.
The region’s effective reproduction number, used to measure how many additional cases spread or result from a single case, has dropped to 1.08 after having risen to 1.26 on Nov. 6. A value of one or above means cases will increase; below one and spread will eventually cease.
There are five people hospitalized in the region with COVID-19, of which one is in an ICU as of Nov. 11. Vaccination statuses are not known.
According to provincial data, as of the morning of Nov. 15, there are 142 unvaccinated persons hospitalized with COVID-19 across the province, of which 64 are in an ICU.
Fully vaccinated individuals account for 82 hospitalizations across the province, with 13 in an ICU.
Delta variant
As of Nov. 14, the Delta variant represents 36.7% of the 1,365 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the health region since the variant was first reported publicly here on June 15.
On June 14, Public Health Ontario (PHO) began allowing all positive COVID-19 samples to be sent for whole genome sequencing, the only way to truly determine how many cases of Delta there are within local health units.
According to PHO data, Delta represented the vast majority (99.8%) of all 1,800 positive COVID-19 tests that had their DNA sequenced between Sept. 26 and Oct. 23.
During that time frame, the majority of those Delta variant cases (62%) were detected in unvaccinated persons.
Over the same time period, labs sequenced 33 positive cases originating from WDGPH, with all returning positive for Delta.
According to WDGPH data, the Delta variant represented an estimated 62.5% of cases in Wellington County from Nov. 7 to 13. Region-wide, that estimate is 69.3%.
Local trends
Wellington County had 15 newly-confirmed cases over the weekend reporting period, with 43 total active cases in the county as of Nov. 15, up from 32 reported a week ago.
There are 30 active cases in Guelph and four in Dufferin County as of Nov. 8.
The death toll attributed to COVID-19 across the region remains unchanged from last week’s total of 127.
Municipality-specific active COVID-19 case counts as of Nov. 15, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Vaccinations
Since Nov. 8, another 1,010 residents have become fully vaccinated with two doses in the WDGPH region, bringing the total as of Nov. 15 to 234,682 or 86.4% of the population aged 12 or older.
That’s an increase of less than one per cent over last week.
As of Nov. 15, there are 6,217 residents who have received one dose.
According to Ontario’s COVID-19 Advisory Science Table data, as of Nov. 15, there were 150 new cases every day per million people in those unvaccinated, compared with nearly 29 cases per day in those fully vaccinated.
The data concludes there’s an 81% risk reduction of contracting a case with two vaccine doses.
In Wellington County 79.1% of eligible residents are two-dose vaccinated as of Nov. 15.
Mapleton continues to have less than 70% of its residents fully vaccinated—consistently the lowest vaccination rate in the county.
Vaccination rates across Wellington County municipalities as of Nov. 15, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Across the region, there are an estimated 11,509 high school students who are vaccinated with two doses; 361 with only a single dose; and 2,014 students who have not yet received a single dose.
In elementary schools falling within the WDGPH catchment area, there are an estimated 4,733 eligible elementary school students at least 12 years old who are vaccinated with two doses; 229 with only a single dose; and 1,218 students who have not yet received a single dose.
Outbreaks
An outbreak of COVID-19 declared at Orangeville Nissan on Nov. 4 continues.
As of the morning of Nov. 15, 10 schools within the WDGPH catchment area have reported 20 active cases.
Outbreaks have been declared at Community Christian School and the Owl’s Nest Holistic Alternative School. Both are private elementary schools within Wellington County.
