WELLINGTON COUNTY – Confirmed COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are down this week across the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) region, following a significant increase over the holidays.
Cases
As of Jan. 11, there are 203 confirmed active cases in the region, down 12 per cent from a week ago.
This follows a massive increase over the holidays (Dec. 21 to Jan. 4), when cases swelled from 154 to 230, marking the highest cases total in the region since early November.
In Wellington County, there are 44 known active cases as of Jan. 11, down 19% from 54 on Jan. 4. Over half of the county cases (24) are concentrated in Centre Wellington.
In Dufferin County there are 42 active cases (down from 52 a week ago) and in Guelph there are 109 (down from 120).
Health experts have previously stated the actual number of cases circulating in a community is at least five times higher than the confirmed case count due to changes in reporting/testing criteria.
WDGPH COVID-19 case data as of Jan. 11, 2023.
Hospitalizations
Hospital data obtained by the Advertiser shows there are 19 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the region as of Jan. 11 (down from 24 on Jan. 4).
There are:
- two COVID patients between the three hospitals in Wellington County;
- 14 at Guelph General Hospital (GGH); and
- three at Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville.
There is one COVID patient in intensive care unit (at GGH) – up from zero a week ago.
Vaccinations
On Jan. 11 public health considered 27.1% of the local population up to date with vaccination, which it defines as having received a vaccine in the last six months.
It recommends an additional dose for 59.9% of area residents, noting they are eligible for another dose and six months has passed since their previous dose. That leaves 13% without a dose.
In Wellington County the figures were 26.9, 58 and 15.1% respectively.
Deaths
As of Jan. 11, the WDGPH dashboard shows a total of 194 deaths across the region have been attributed to COVID-19. That’s up from 192 on Jan. 4.
Wellington County residents account for 61 of the regional COVID-19 deaths, up from 60 a week ago.
WDGPH spokesperson Danny Williamson said the two most recent deaths were a woman over 80 years old from Guelph and a man over 80 from Wellington County.
Facility outbreaks
As of Jan. 10, there are active COVID-19 outbreaks at the following health care facilities:
- Village of Arbour Trails in Guelph (retirement home, Williamsburg unit), declared Dec. 15;
- Heritage River retirement home in Elora (facility wide), declared Dec. 16;
- Avalon Care Centre in Orangeville (2 North and 2 South); declared Dec. 23;
- Chartwell Wellington Park retirement home in Guelph (third and fourth floors), declared Dec. 27;
- Lord Dufferin retirement home in Orangeville, declared Dec. 30;
- Wellington Terrace Long-Term Care Home in Aboyne (Cedar Gorge), declared on Jan. 4;
- Guelph General Hospital (5 West), declared Jan. 5; and
- The Elliott Community Long-Term Care Home in Guelph (Wellington unit), declared Jan. 7.
