London region sees 1,154 new COVID-19 cases since Christmas Eve
CBC
The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is reporting 1,154 new cases of COVID-19 in the region since Christmas Eve.
Over the last four days, health authorities reported 357 new cases of the virus on Christmas Day, 276 on Boxing Day, 241 on Monday and 280 on Tuesday.
There were no new reports of deaths over the last four days, although five people have died of the illness in the area so far this month.
In total, have been 3,352 COVID-19 cases in the London region in December as the fast-spreading Omicron variant sweeps through the area, outpacing reported infections though all of August and November combined.
While cases are up, relatively few seem to be landing patients in hospital. The London Health Sciences Centre lists 17 inpatients with COVID-19 as of Tuesday, seven of whom are being cared for in the hospital's intensive care unit. The hospital also reported 104 staff have been infected with the virus as of Tuesday.
Hospitals remain open. Those in need of urgent or emergent care should not delay getting treatment.
Five new outbreaks at long-term care homes in the region were declared also Tuesday by health officials since Christmas Eve, including Extendicare, Longworth Retirement Residence, Mount Hope Centre for Long-term care, Middlesex Terrace and Elmwood Place, bringing the total case count among residents and staff to 826 combined.
While the number of institutional outbreaks rises, close contact with sick people is still driving the bulk of new COVID-19 infections, according to MLHU data.
Intelligence regarding foreign interference sometimes didn't make it to the prime minister's desk in 2021 because Canada's spy agency and the prime minister's national security adviser didn't always see eye to eye on the nature of the threat, according to a recent report from one of Canada's intelligence watchdogs.