WELLINGTON COUNTY – Confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) region, while hospitalizations remained steady over the last week.
There were 260 confirmed active cases in the region as of July 20, up 16% from 224 cases a week ago and more than double the figure from a month ago (94 cases on June 22).
Following a steady decline in May and most of June, cases have risen steadily this month during the province’s seventh wave of the pandemic.
In Wellington County, there are 55 known active cases as of July 20, virtually unchanged from 54 a week ago. In Dufferin County there are 48 actives cases (down slightly from 52) and in Guelph there are 142 (up from 109).
On July 13, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore stated actual case counts across the province are likely five times the reported numbers.
COVID-19 case data in the WDGPH region as of July 20, 2022. (WDGPH image)
Hospitalizations
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 across the region remained steady over the last week (20 on July 11 and 19 on July 18 with one each week in an intensive care unit [ICU]).
But that figure is up significantly since the end of May, when there were five people hospitalized with the virus (none in an ICU).
Vaccinations
As of July 20, across the WDGPH region there were 158,274 residents (59.7% of those 12 and older) who received at least three vaccine doses and 258,324 people (88.9% of those five and older) who received two doses, and just over 7,000 who received a single dose.
At the county level, as of Wednesday, there were 50,496 people in Wellington (60.6% of those 12 and older) who received at least three vaccine doses, 80,214 people (87.4% of those five and older) who received two doses, and just over 2,000 who received a single dose.
Fourth doses are available as of July 14 for all Ontarians aged 18 to 59.
Deaths
One new death attributed to COVID-19 has been reported in the region this week. To date, a total of 164 deaths across the WDGPH region have been attributed to COVID-19, including 54 in Wellington County.
Outbreaks
As of July 18, there were six active COVID-19 outbreaks at health care facilities in the region:
- Guelph General Hospital (Unit 7 east), declared on July 18;
- Highland Manor Retirement Home in Fergus, declared on July 12;
- Dufferin Oaks long-term care facility in Shelburne, declared July 11.
- Louise Marshall Hospital (inpatient medicine unit) in Mount Forest, declared on July 9;
- Village of Riverside Glen retirement home (three units) in Guelph, declared July 9; and
- Village of Arbour Trails retirement home (Emma Unit) in Guelph, declared June 30.
