Fourteenth COVID-19-linked death-updated

Southwestern Public Health on Saturday, Jan. 2, was reporting the 14th-death in its region linked to COVID-19.

This death, involving an Oxford man in his 50s, was the second in two days.

Between Thursday, Dec. 31, and Saturday, Southwestern reported 93 confirmed new cases in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford, including 18 on New Year’s Day and 75 on Jan. 2, the latter a new daily record.

The total number of confirmed ongoing cases stands at 347, up from 295 on Thursday.

St. Thomas and area increased from 58 cases on Thursday to 66 on Saturday, Bayham to 12 from eight and Central Elgin to five from four, while three new cases appeared in the portion of Malahide not included in the Aylmer and area number.

Aylmer and area decreased to 49 cases from 55, Southwold from eight to five and West Elgin to three from four.

In Oxford, the number of ongoing cases in Tillsonburg and area rose to 89 from 67, including 42 residents and 27 staff at Maple Manor long-term care home.

Woodstock increased to 40 cases from 31, East Zorra-Tavistock to 34 from 33, Norwich to 16 from 12, Zorra to eight from five, Ingersoll and area to six from five, Blandford-Blenheim to five from four and South-West Oxford to four from three.

The infection rate across the Southwestern region stands at 164.1 cases per 100,000 of population, up from 139.5 on Thursday.

Across Ontario, 5,839 new cases were confirmed on Friday and Saturday.