WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health (WDGPH) is reporting 35 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend (Oct. 1 to 3).
The region’s active case count now sits at 74 and its case rate per 100,000 population has decreased from 35.3 on Sept. 25 to 19.2 on Oct. 2.
The rate of COVID-19 tests returning positive for the virus has declined from 2.3% on Sept. 23 to 2.0% as of Sept. 30.
The region’s effective reproduction number, used to measure how many additional cases spread or result from a single case, continues to decrease, sitting at 0.74 as of Oct. 2. A value of one or above means cases will increase; below one and spread will eventually cease.
There are seven people in the region hospitalized due to COVID-19, two of which are in an ICU as of Sept. 30. Their vaccination status is not known.
According to provincial data, as of the morning of Oct. 4, there are 209 unvaccinated persons hospitalized with COVID-19 across the province, of which 94 are in an ICU.
Fully vaccinated individuals account for 38 hospitalizations across the province, with seven in an ICU.
Delta variant
As of Oct. 3, the Delta variant represents 41.6% of the 1,000 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 (99.2%) of all 8,429 positive COVID-19 tests that had their DNA sequenced between Aug. 15 and Sept. 11.
Over the same time period, labs sequenced 144 positive cases originating from WDGPH, with all returning positive for Delta.
Delta represents an estimated 82.6% of cases in Wellington County between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2. Region-wide, that estimate is 78.3%.
Local trends
Wellington County had 21 newly confirmed cases reported over the weekend, with 30 total active cases in the county as of Oct. 4.
Active cases in Guelph and Dufferin County are sitting at 29 and 13, respectively.
The death toll attributed to COVID-19 across the region remains at 126.
Municipality-specific active COVID-19 case counts as of Oct. 4, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Vaccinations
Since Sept. 27, another 2,524 residents have become fully vaccinated with two doses in the WDGPH region, bringing the total as of Oct. 4 to 224,974 or 82.8% of the population aged 12 or older. That’s an increase of 1.13% from last week.
There are 11,081 residents who have received one dose as of Oct. 4.
Vaccination rates across Wellington County municipalities as of Oct. 4, 2021. (WDGPH image)
According to Ontario’s COVID-19 Advisory Science Table data, as of Oct. 4, there were 122.6 new cases every day per million people in those unvaccinated, compared with 20.6 cases per day in those fully vaccinated.
The data concludes there’s a 83.2% risk reduction of contracting a case with two vaccine doses.
In Wellington County 75.9% of eligible residents are two-dose vaccinated as of Oct. 4.
According to WDGPH data tracking vaccination uptake across county municipalities, Centre Wellington has the highest proportion of fully vaccinated residents, with 80-84% of its 27,226 residents having received two doses.
Mapleton has the lowest proportion, with less than 70% of its 9,188 residents fully vaccinated.
Across the region, there are an estimated 10,803 high school students who are vaccinated with two doses; 679 with only a single dose; and 2,369 students who have not yet received a single dose.
Vaccination rates for local high schools as of Oct. 4, 2021. (WDGPH image)
Outbreaks
As of Sept. 28, outbreaks have been declared at an unnamed bar/restaurant and workplace setting.
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 Western Hotel and Burgers in Guelph was declared over on Sept. 30.
As of the morning of Oct. 4, 10 schools within the WDGPH catchment area have reported 28 active cases. Two of those schools are within Wellington County.
