Active COVID-19 cases dip overall in Chatham-Kent, but cases rising among local students

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There were slightly more resolved COVID-19 cases reported by Chatham-Kent public health on Friday than new cases, but infections are growing among students.

A total of 19 recoveries were confirmed as of Friday morning, more than offsetting the 17 new cases and dropping the number of active cases from 115 to 113.

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Active COVID-19 cases dip overall in Chatham-Kent, but cases rising among local students Back to video

The number of COVID cases in Chatham-Kent schools, however, continues to grow.

The Lambton Kent District school board website reported Friday there are single cases in students at Dresden Area Central school, A.A. Wright public school in Wallaceburg, Queen Elizabeth II public school in Chatham, and Tilbury District high school. There is also now two cases in students at Chatham-Kent secondary school in Chatham.

There are also confirmed cases in two students at Tecumseh, Victor Lauriston and McNaughton Avenue public schools in Chatham, as well as John McGregor secondary school in Chatham.

All of these public schools remain open.

The St. Clair Catholic District school board website reports confirmed COVID-19 cases in two students at Monsignor Uyen Catholic school in Chatham, but that school remains open. There is also a confirmed case with a student at Chatham’s St. Angela Merici Catholic School, which has closed two classes. A single student case also remains at St. Anne Catholic school in Blenheim, which has closed one class.

There are 16 patients hospitalized at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, unchanged from Thursday.

The cumulative total of confirmed cases in Chatham-Kent since the pandemic began sits at 2,286, with 2,156 cases reported as resolved.

Local health officials continue to urge residents to get fully vaccinated, and those numbers are starting to edge up.

There are 68,827 local residents age 12 and older with two doses, which is up one per cent to 74 per cent of the population.

However, young people continue to have the lowest vaccination rates across the municipality.

Only 53 per cent of the population in both the 12-to-17 and 18-to-29 age groups across Chatham-Kent are fully vaccinated.

The largest segment of the community that is fully vaccinated, according to health unit figures, is the 70-to-79 age group at 95 per cent, followed by the 60-to-69 age group at 91 per cent.

A total of 88 per cent of residents 80 and older have also been double vaxxed.

The Ontario government reported 795 new COVID cases across the province on Friday, with 582 cases in individuals not fully vaccinated and 213 in fully vaccinated individuals.

There are 336 people hospitalized across Ontario with COVID-19, including 306 who are not vaccinated and 30 who are fully vaccinated.