London and Middlesex County have "absolutely" entered a sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the region's medical officer of health.
Dr. Alex Summers declared the start of the latest wave of the virus during a media briefing on Monday.
"The risk of COVID-19 in our community is very high. The amount of COVID that we are seeing is higher than at any other time during this pandemic, aside from the peaks of January 2022 during the initial parts of the Omicron wave," said Summers. "I think we have entered a sixth wave of the pandemic absolutely for our region. This is a wave being driven again by Omicron. It is not a new variant, it is the same variant that was here. But it is just finding its way to anybody who was not protected the first go-around from either previous infection or a booster dose.”
Wastewater data, percent positivity, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths have been trending up locally for the past couple of weeks. Over the weekend there were 293 new cases in the city and county. Two more deaths were recorded on Saturday - two women, one in her 80s, the other in her 20s. Hospitalizations and hospital staff infections both saw increases with 47 inpatients and 229 employees COVID positive on Monday.
Summers anticipates cases and other metrics used to gauge spread will continue to escalate through April and into May.
"What is unknown is how quickly those things will rise and how high they will go," said Summers.
In order to protect against the virus, particularly for people at higher risk of poor outcomes such as the elderly and immunocompromised, Summers recommends making sure vaccinations are up to date, limiting social interactions, keeping social circles small, and wearing a mask.
"Wear that mask when you are at indoor events when you are out and about. Even if it is not required, it is still a simple and cost effective way to protect yourself and limit your risk," said Summers.
The provincial government scrapped its mask mandate in nearly all public settings two weeks ago, making the decision to wear a face covering a personal choice.
In its continued effort to make getting the COVID-19 vaccine as convenient for people as possible, the Middlesex London Health Unit is reopening its vaccination clinic at White Oaks Mall. The clinic will be open Thursday through Saturday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of the month. When the clinic was last open last fall, nearly 6,000 shots were administered.
Summers is optimistic COVID-19 spread will decline in June and July as people spend more time outdoors and community immunity increases as a result of previous infection.
