COVID-19: Second death in region, jump in new cases

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Wednesday, April 1, brought an abrupt increase in the number of confirmed  COVID-19 cases in Elgin and St. Thomas from seven to 11, including the second death from the disease, a woman in her 70s. Of the three other new cases from Elgin, one was someone in their 80s (self-isolating), and two others, an 80s male and 40s female, were listed as status “pending”.  The information was posted on Southwestern Public Health’s Confirmed Cases Dashboard. No further information was provided. Updates to come. (see April 2 post with further information)

This come one day after the first death in the region was announced, a woman in her 80s had died Monday night, March 30. In a telephone press conference late Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Joyce Lock, medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health, said the woman had been a resident of a non-profit seniors housing building in West Elgin. She had acquired COVID-19 from a couple who resided in the same apartment building, and who had recently returned from a trip to the U.S.A., Dr. Lock said.

So far, there had been 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin, and one in St. Thomas. Two of those individuals have died, three are in hospital, four are self-isolating, while two others are still listed pending. Southwestern Public Health oversees testing and confirmation of cases it’s region: Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford.

The health unit, as of April 1 morning, has so far administered 330 tests, with 124 tests pending, 193 being negative for the virus, and 16 confirmed cases.

(with information from Southwestern Public Health’s Confirmed Cases Dashboard: https://www.swpublichealth.ca/content/community-update-novel-coronavirus-covid-19).