WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) is reporting 73 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend (Dec. 3 to 5).
The region’s active case count sits at 135 as of Dec. 6, the highest total since late September.
The case rate per 100,000 population has, as of Dec. 6, risen to 36.5 from 20.8 last week.
The rate of COVID-19 tests returning positive for the virus has increased from 2.1% as of Nov. 26 to 2.8% as of Dec. 2.
The region’s effective reproduction number, used to measure how many additional cases spread or result from a single case, has risen from 1.14 on Nov. 27 to 1.27 on Dec. 4. A value of one or above means cases will increase; below one and spread will eventually cease.
One individual with COVID is hospitalized in an ICU in the region as of Dec. 1. Their vaccination status is unknown.
According to provincial data, as of the morning of Dec. 6, there are 155 unvaccinated persons hospitalized with COVID-19 across the province, of which 65 are in an ICU.
Fully vaccinated individuals account for 88 hospitalizations across the province, with 24 in an ICU.
Variant breakdown no longer reported
The Advertiser has previously reported the prevalence of the Delta variant in the makeup of COVID-19 cases across the WDGPH region since the variant was first reported here in public data on June 15.
Public Health Ontario (PHO) has, as of Nov. 16, stopped reporting specific variants of concern in its daily and weekly epidemiological summaries, citing Delta as the predominant strain of COVID-19.
PHO began allowing all positive COVID-19 samples to be sent for whole genome sequencing as of June 14—that practice will continue.
Local trends
Wellington County had 16 newly-confirmed cases over the weekend, with 36 total active cases in the county as of Dec. 6.
There are 72 active cases in Guelph and 20 in Dufferin County as of Dec. 6.
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 Dec. 6, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Vaccinations
Since Nov. 29, another 3,488 people have become fully vaccinated with two doses in the WDGPH region, bringing the total as of Dec. 6 to 239,696 or 81.2% of the population aged 12 or older.
The population eligible for vaccination has expanded to include those five years old and up, decreasing the overall percentage of those who are now fully vaccinated from the 87% reported last week, to 81.2% as of Dec. 6.
There has been a significant increase in the reported number of people who have received a first dose, up from 6,226 reported last week to 10,986 as of Dec. 6 (a 76.4% increase), with the five to 11 age group now eligible for vaccination.
According to Ontario’s COVID-19 Advisory Science Table data, as of Dec. 5, there were 238 new cases every day per million people in those unvaccinated, compared with 50 cases per day in those fully vaccinated.
The data concludes there’s an 80% risk reduction of contracting a case with two vaccine doses.
In Wellington County 80.3% of eligible residents, including those aged five 11, are two-dose vaccinated as of Dec. 6.
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 Dec. 6, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Across the region, there are an estimated 11,593 high school students who are vaccinated with two doses; 309 with only a single dose; and 2,117 students who have not yet received a single dose.
In elementary schools falling within the WDGPH catchment area, there are an estimated 30,047 elementary school students in the public health region who are now eligible for vaccination.
Of that group, 10,456 students are at least vaccinated with a single dose, with half of the group, or 5,228 students, who are fully vaccinated. There are 19,591 students who have not yet received a single dose.
Outbreaks
As of the morning of Dec. 6, 16 schools within the WDGPH catchment area have reported 30 active cases.
Outbreaks have been declared at three Guelph elementary schools, and at an elementary school and a daycare in Dufferin County.
