Wellington County driving the numbers in latest COVID count

WELLINGTON COUNTY – Wellington County is currently driving the cases of COVID-19 in this public health region, with 19 new cases reported on Nov. 20, while Dufferin County reported no new cases and Guelph reported five.

That brings Wellington County to 65 active cases and none in hospital; Dufferin has 13 active cases with two in hospital, and Guelph has 44 active cases and none in hospital.

As well public health is reporting outbreaks at the following long-term care facilities:

  • Birmingham Retirement Community in Mount Forest went into outbreak on Nov. 19 with one staff member testing positive;
  • Caressant Care LTC in Arthur in outbreak since Nov. 12 with one staff testing positive;
  • Caressant Care LTC in Fergus went into outbreak on Nov. 8 with one staff testing positive;
  • Stone Lodge in Guelph went into outbreak on Nov. 18 with two staff testing positive;
  • Village of Riverside Glen LTC has two outbreaks – one declared on Nov. 10 in the Mapleton neighbourhood with two positive staff and the second declared on Nov. 19 in the Eramosa neighbourhood with one resident testing positive.

Village of Riverside Glen also has an outbreak in the retirement home’s Emma neighbourhood with one staff testing positive. This outbreak was declared on Nov. 6.

Public health defines an outbreak as one or more confirmed cases of COVID-19 within a facility (long-term care home, retirement home or hospital). Outbreaks confined only to sections or wings of these facilities will be identified where applicable. The date an outbreak is declared is the date the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified. An outbreak is declared over 14 days after symptoms began in the most recent case and when no other cases are suspect.

Wellington County went into the orange/restrict category of the provincial COVID-19 framework on Nov.16.