WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) is reporting 43 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend (Sept. 24 to 26).
The region’s active case count now sits at 128 and its case rate per 100,000 population has increased slightly from 34 on Sept. 11 to 35.3 as of Sept. 25.
The rate of COVID-19 tests returning positive for the virus has declined from 3.4% on Sept. 9 to 2.3% as of Sept. 23.
The region’s effective reproduction number, used to measure how many additional cases spread or result from a single case, sits at 0.92 as of Sept. 25. A value of one or above means cases will increase; below one and spread will eventually cease.
There are six people in the region hospitalized due to COVID-19, two of which are in an ICU as of Sept. 17. Their vaccination status is not known.
According to provincial data, as of the morning of Sept. 27, there are 235 unvaccinated persons hospitalized with COVID-19 across the province, of which 102 are in an ICU.
Fully vaccinated individuals account for 50 hospitalizations across the province, with seven in an ICU.
Delta variant
As of Sept. 27, the Delta variant represents 42% of the 952 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the health region since the variant was first reported publicly here on June 15.
On June 14, Public Health Ontario (PHO) began allowing all positive COVID-19 samples to be sent for whole genome sequencing, the only way to truly determine how many cases of Delta there are within local health units.
According to PHO data, Delta represented the vast majority (98.6%) of all 8,789 positive COVID-19 tests that had their DNA sequenced between Aug. 8 and Sept. 4.
Over the same time period, labs sequenced 141 positive cases originating from WDGPH, with 140 returning positive for Delta.
Delta represents an estimated 78.4% of cases in Wellington County between Sept. 19 and 25. Region-wide, that estimate is 75.5%.
Local trends
Wellington County had 17 newly confirmed cases reported over the weekend, with 34 total active cases in the county as of Sept. 27.
Active cases in Guelph and Dufferin County are sitting at 70 and 24, respectively.
The death toll attributed to COVID-19 across the region has been corrected from 127 to 126.
Municipality-specific active COVID-19 case counts as of Sept. 27, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Vaccinations
Since Sept. 20, another 3,006 residents have become fully vaccinated with two doses in the WDGPH region, bringing the total as of Sept. 27 to 222,450 or 81.9% of the population aged 12 or older. That’s an increase of 1.36% from last week.
There are 12,109 residents who have received one dose as of Sept. 27.
Vaccination rates across Wellington County municipalities as of Sept. 27, 2021. (WDGPH image)
According to Ontario COVID-19 Advisory Science Table data, as of Sept. 26, there were 136.5 new cases every day per million people in those unvaccinated, compared with 18 cases per day in those fully vaccinated.
The data concludes there’s a 86.8% risk reduction of contracting a case with two vaccine doses.
In Wellington County 75.1% of eligible residents are two-dose vaccinated as of Sept. 27.
According to WDGPH data tracking vaccination uptake across county municipalities, Centre Wellington has the highest proportion of fully vaccinated residents, with 80-89% of its 27,038 residents having received two doses.
Mapleton has the lowest proportion, with less than 60% of its 9,087 residents fully vaccinated.
Across the region, there are an estimated 10,610 high school students who are vaccinated with two doses; 771 with only a single dose; and 2,480 students who have not yet received a single dose.
Vaccination rates for local high schools as of Sept. 27, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Outbreaks
As of Sept. 21, outbreaks have been declared at an unnamed personal service setting in the region and Western Hotel and Burgers in Guelph.
There is also an active childcare setting outbreak (one staff and three child cases) at Little Angels Development in Wellington County.
A previously declared outbreak at the Chartwell Wellington Park retirement residence in Guelph was declared over on Sept. 25.
As of the morning of Sept. 27, 17 schools within the WDGPH catchment area have reported 38 active cases. Four of those schools are within the county.
