WELLINGTON COUNTY – Confirmed COVID-19 cases are up significantly this week across the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) region, while hospitalizations remain steady.
Cases
As of Dec. 21, there are 154 confirmed active cases in the region, up 54 per cent from 100 on Dec. 14.
This is the highest case total in the region since early November. Cases had ranged between 100 and 144 since Nov. 16.
In Wellington County, there are 38 known active cases as of Dec. 14, up 41% from 27 last week.
About half of the county cases are concentrated in Minto (10) in Centre Wellington (10).
In Dufferin County there are 24 active cases (up from 10 last week) and in Guelph there are 89 (up significantly from 59).
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 Dec. 21, 2022.
Hospitalizations
Hospital data obtained by the Advertiser shows there are at least 20 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the region as of Dec. 21 (up slightly from 19 on Dec. 14).
There is one COVID patient between the three hospitals in Wellington County and 19 at Guelph General Hospital (GGH) – none in an intensive care unit.
Officials at Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville did not respond to requests for information (it had one COVID-positive patient on Dec. 14).
Vaccinations
On Dec. 21 public health considered 27.7% 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 59.2% of area residents, noting they are eligible for another dose and six months has passed since their previous dose. That leaves 13.1% without a dose.
In Wellington County the figures are 27.5, 57.4 and 15.1% respectively.
Deaths
As of Dec. 21, the WDGPH dashboard shows a total of 192 deaths across the region have been attributed to COVID-19. That’s up from 190 last week.
Wellington County residents account for 60 of the COVID-19 deaths in the WDGPH region (unchanged).
Facility outbreaks
As of Dec. 20, there were active COVID-19 outbreaks at the following health care facilities:
- Norfolk Manor retirement home in Guelph (facility-wide), declared on Dec. 18;
- Heritage River retirement home in Elora (facility-wide), declared on Dec. 16;
- Chartwell on Gorden retirement home in Guelph (facility-wide), declared on Dec. 16;
- Guelph General Hospital (4West and 5West units) declared on Dec. 12;
- Village of Riverside Glen (Emma unit) in Guelph, declared on Dec. 8;
- Caressant Care Harriston (facility-wide), declared on Dec. 5; and
- Shelburne Residence retirement home (facility-wide), declared on Dec. 20.
