WELLINGTON COUNTY – Confirmed COVID-19 cases are up 9.7 per cent in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) region this week and the number of people hospitalized with COVID has increased.
Cases
As of Nov. 2, there are 281 confirmed active cases in the region, up from 256 on Oct. 26.
In Wellington County, there are 75 known active cases, up from 65 last week.
In Dufferin County there are 55 active cases (up from 36) and in Guelph there are 134 (down from 145).
Many health officials have previously suggested actual case numbers are five times the reported figures.
Hospitalizations
As of Oct. 31, there were 20 people hospitalized across the region who tested positive for COVID-19, up from 20 on Oct. 20.
Four COVID-positive individuals were admitted to an ICU, up from two on Oct. 20.
Vaccinations
Starting Oct. 5, WDGPH changed the way it presents COVID-19 vaccination information on its website, “based on the latest provincial vaccination recommendations.”
Instead of including percentages for those who have received one, two and three doses, the dashboard now classifies residents into three categories:
- “up to date” with vaccination;
- “additional dose recommended;” or
- “initiate population” (those without any vaccinations).
On Nov. 2 public health considered 21.6% 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 64.1% of area residents, noting they are eligible for another dose and six months has passed since their previous dose.
That leaves 14.3% of the population that has not yet received a dose.
In Wellington County the figures are 22.6, 62.3 and 15.1% respectively.
As colder weather arrives, public health officials continue to remind residents to stay up-to-date with vaccinations.
Deaths
As of Nov. 2, a total of 184 deaths across the WDGPH region have been attributed to COVID-19 (up from 183 a week ago).
Fifty-nine of those deaths were Wellington County residents.
WDGPH sp0kesperson Danny Williamson confirmed the latest death was of a Guelph man over the age of 80.
Facility outbreaks
There were 10 active COVID-19 outbreaks at eight health care facilities as of Oct. 26:
• Avalon Care Centre (1N) in Orangeville, declared Oct. 26;
• Birmingham Retirement Community (facility-wide) in Mount Forest, declared Oct. 24;
• Bethsaida retirement home (facility-wide) in Orangeville, declared Oct. 22;
• Stone Lodge retirement home (facility-wide) in Guelph, declared Oct. 21;
• Eden House (facility-wide) in Guelph/Eramosa, declared Oct. 17;
• Guelph General Hospital (4 West and 7 East units), declared Oct. 14;
• Royal Terrace retirement home (facility-wide) in Palmerston, declared Oct. 11; and
• Village of Arbour Trails (Becker and Egerton units) in Guelph, declared Oct. 11.
