This is Oakville's coronavirus update for Saturday, September 16, 2023. Halton's average daily cases and number of COVID-19 patients in hospital has decreased from last week's spike.
There is still concerning news in Oakville: a whopping 23% of locally administered COVID-19 tests are coming back positive - the highest positive testing rate in almost two years.
Another three new institutional outbreaks have opened in Halton, bringing the active total to right. Of those, six have opened only since Labour Day.
The latest Omicron subvariants EG.5 and XBB are now present and infecting cases in southern Ontario. However, the Ontario government has announced that vaccines targeting these new variants are expected to be available in the province by October 30 this year.
Only 5% of Halton residents have a full series of immunization. Among those 50 and under, those fully immunized has dropped to a worrying 1.4% of the population. Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is recommending all eligible Canadians to get another COVID-19 booster shot this fall.
Canada's number of active cases and daily deaths from COVID-19 has risen every week this month. Canada-wide, cases and test positivity are rising in all ten provinces. While hospitalizations are rising, the growth rate has slowed down.
The worldwide case total to date has, as predicted, surpassed 770 million cases this week recorded worldwide since the start of the pandemic. Confirmed global deaths are nearing 7 million people, though the real count of unofficial deaths is, almost certainly, millions higher.
**Vaccine booking: All doses and booster doses are now available for anyone in Halton age 5 and up, though fourth doses must be at least five months since your last dose and 90 days since having COVID-19.
Halton continues to book first and second-dose vaccinations for all residents age six months and older, plus third and fourth dose boosters for anyone age 5 and up.
New data from Halton Regional Health this week:
Halton is averaging 9.0 new COVID-19 cases per day, a slight decrease from last week's reported 10.4 daily cases.
- There are 8 active outbreaks in Halton (3 more than last week)
- 23.0% of locally administered COVID-19 tests are coming back positive (6.2% more than last week)
- 8 people are being treated in hospital with COVID-19 (4 less than last week)
Vaccinations in Halton Region:
- At least 1.57 million doses have been administered in Halton
- 90% of Halton residents have at least two doses (the primary series)
- 5% of eligible Halton residents (age 12+) are up to date on their booster shots (have had the primary series and a booster dose in the last six months)
- 58% of eligible residents have a primary series and a booster more than six months ago
Canadian COVID-19 Update:
- Canada has had 4.58 million cumulative cases of COVID-19
- There are 579,100 active cases in Canada (+2,700 this week)
- 2,911 people are currently in hospital (+128 this week)
- There are 50,870 deaths to date (+74 this week)
- 82.64% of Canadians are fully vaccinated
Global COVID-19 Update:
- U.S. hospitalizations are up 8.7% this past week, now levelling out after a three-week spike
- U.S. deaths have increased 4.5% this week - still rising since late July
- Only 16.0% of Americans are up-to-date with all recommended vaccine booster doses
- 770.65 million people worldwide have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the pandemic started; 6.95 million people have died
The evidence is clear: though transmission has dramatically slowed, vaccination (including all recommended booster shots) is still the best way to be protected from contracting COVID-19.
Local, provincial, national and international health units affirm the same data that Canada's approved vaccines and all boosters effectively protect you from COVID-19 and significantly reduces your risk of getting sick, going to the hospital, and dying from the disease.
Sources:
- Halton Region (and halton.ca/covid19)
- Halton Healthcare
- Joseph Brant Hospital
- HDSB COVID Advisory Page
- The Government of Ontario dashboard
- Public Health Ontario COVID-19 Data Tool
- Government of Canada
- COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker Canada
- The U.S. Centre for Disease Control
- Our World in Data
- Johns Hopkins University Research Centre
- World Health Organization