Middlesex-London’s top doctor said Monday the region has “absolutely” entered a sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a wave that’s being driven again by Omicron. It’s not a new variant. It’s the same variant that was here,” said Alex Summers, the medical officer of health.
Also Monday, Premier Doug Ford said the province is in the midst of “a little spike” of COVID-19, but that it is manageable.
“This wave will not spike as high as the previous Omicron wave,” Summers said at a media briefing Monday. “So it’s not going to go as high, but it’s still likely going to look higher than most of the previous waves.”
Summers said this wave was expected, and he believes cases will continue to escalate through April: “It’ll start to decline through May and onwards. Again, there’s a bit of a crystal ball to all of that. But regardless, we are not yet at the peak of the wave by any means.”
COVID-19 hospitalizations reported Monday in Ontario were up roughly 30 per cent compared to a week ago. The province reported 857 people in hospital with the virus, compared with 655 the previous Monday.
There was also a small increase in the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care — to 168 from 158 a week ago.
The test positivity rate was up to 19 per cent Monday, the highest it has been since mid-January. Positivity hit a high on Jan. 2 of 34.3 percent.
Two weeks ago, Ontario ended mask mandates in most public spaces, with the exception of public transit and health-care settings such as hospitals and long-term care homes.
London Health Sciences Center reported it was caring for 47 COVID-19 patients on Monday, compared to 27 the previous Monday. There are five or fewer patients in intensive care, the same range as a week ago.
The health unit reported 82 new cases on Monday, 84 on Sunday and 126 on Saturday. There two deaths over the weekend, both women, one in her 20s, the other in her 80s. Summers said the woman in her 20s was not fully vaccinated, “and although COVID did contribute to her death, it was not the underlying cause,” he noted.
When asked about the situation Monday at an unrelated announcement, Ford said the “little spike” was expected and he will continue to follow the advice of Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health. The province has added more acute-care beds and now has antiviral pills available to treat the illness, so it is well prepared, Ford said.
Although provincial health restrictions have been lifted, Summers recommended people continue to use masks and make sure their vaccinations are up to date. “I would also ask that you consider to limit some of your social interactions and keep those social circles smaller,” he said.
“It is unlikely, highly unlikely, that the number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions will be higher than what we saw in January and February during the first round of the Omicron wave,” Summers said. “However, we will see an increase in hospitalizations as a result of this increase in cases. That is anticipated. What is not entirely clear is how high that increase will be.”
The health unit also announced Monday it is reopening its COVID vaccination clinic in White Oaks Mall. It will be next to Tim Hortons, near the mall’s food court, Thursdays through Saturdays from 1-7 pm starting on Thursday. The clinic is scheduled to run until April 30.
With a file from The Canadian Press
Twitter.com/DanatLFPress