WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) is reporting 59 new COVID-19 cases over the Labour Day long weekend (Sept. 3 to 6).
The region’s active case count now sits at 135, the highest it has been since reaching the same figure on June 7.
There were 104 active cases in the region one week ago and just 21 on Aug. 3.
The region’s case rate per 100,000 population continues to rise – from 6.4 at the beginning of August to 35.6 as of Sept. 5.
On Aug. 1 less than one per cent of COVID-19 tests were returning positive for the virus, but that rate has is now trending upward, increasing to 3.8% as of Sept. 3.
The region’s effective reproduction number, used to measure how many additional cases spread or result from a single case, has remained above one since Aug. 22 and sits at 1.04 as of Aug. 28. A value of one or above means cases will increase; below one and spread will eventually cease.
There are two people in the region hospitalized due to COVID-19, both in an ICU as of Sept. 2. Their vaccination status is not known.
According to provincial data, as of the morning of Sept. 7, there are 248 unvaccinated persons hospitalized with COVID-19 across the province, of which 102 are in an ICU.
Fully vaccinated individuals account for 44 hospitalizations across the province, with 12 in an ICU.
Delta variant
As of Sept. 4, the Delta variant represents 49% of the 584 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 (93.1%) of all 4,041 positive COVID-19 tests that had their DNA sequenced between July 18 and Aug. 14.
The proportion of cases returning positive for Delta increased by 1.2 percentage points from a week earlier, to 96.1% between Aug. 8 and 14.
From July 18 to Aug. 14, labs sequenced 58 positive cases originating from WDGPH, with 57 returning positive for Delta.
Localized data from WDGPH shows Delta representing an estimated 81.5% of cases in Wellington County between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5. Region-wide, that estimate is 56.8%.
Local trends
Wellington County had six newly confirmed cases reported over the long weekend, with 25 total active cases in the county as of Sept. 7.
Active cases in Guelph and Dufferin County are sitting at 73 and 34, respectively.
The toll of 126 deaths attributed to COVID-19 across the region remains unchanged since last week’s report.
Municipality-specific active COVID-19 case counts as of Sept. 7, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Vaccinations
Since Aug. 30, another 2,840 residents have become fully vaccinated with two doses in the WDGPH region, bringing the total as of Sept. 7 to 214,559 or 79.5% of the population aged 12 or older. That’s an increase of 1.34% from last week.
There are 14,569 residents who have received one dose as of Sept. 7.
According to WDGPH data, between June 20 and Aug. 31, the number of cases in unvaccinated persons was 4.4 times greater than in those fully vaccinated.
In Wellington County 73.2% of eligible residents are two-dose vaccinated as of Sept. 7, behind Dufferin County (75.6%) and significantly behind Guelph (85%).
Across the region, there are an estimated 10,126 high school students who are vaccinated with two doses; 900 with only a single dose; and 2,827 students who have not yet received a single dose.
Vaccination rates for local high schools as of Sept. 7, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Outbreaks
Outbreaks have been declared at one unnamed bar/restaurant type venue and at the Fresh Salon and Spa in Guelph as of Sept. 1.
There is also an active childcare setting outbreak (one case) at the Kensington YMCA in Guelph.
