COVID-19 numbers rising from Pickering to Clarington for third week in a row

Does three weeks a trend make?

If so, it’s not a trend we want to be setting as COVID-19 numbers spiked for the third straight week. The pandemic, unfortunately, is trending in the wrong direction.

The numbers are up across the board, with the notable exception of deaths, which remain at zero for the third week in a row, thankfully. Hospitalizations are up to 49 from 41, with one person in ICU. Total new COVID cases is 347 for the week of October 2-8, up ten from the previous period. The weekly incidence rate is 47.3 per 100,00, up from 45.9 and the per cent positivity rate stands at 11.2 per cent, up dramatically from 9.4 per cent the previous week.

The number of outbreaks at institutions such as long term care homes, hospitals and retirement centres is up to 21 from 19, though just one hospital has an outbreak versus three the previous week.

COVID-19 numbers are released by Durham Region’s Health Department every Wednesday. Lakeridge Health releases hospitalization numbers daily.