Only 23 ongoing cases in Elgin and St. Thomas

Southwestern Public Health reported 21 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, Feb. 5, up from 11 the previous day.

The total number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit decreased, though, to 123 from 134.

St. Thomas and Elgin communities saw their number of cases either decrease or stay steady. The big increase is in Woodstock, which has a major outbreak in its Caressant Care Retirement Home.

St. Thomas and area had 14 cases Friday, down from 15 Thursday, Aylmer and area two, down from five, Dutton Dunwich two, down from three, and Bayham one, down from two.

West Elgin remained at two cases, Central Elgin at one and Malahide at one.

In Oxford, Woodstock and area increased to 73 from 61. Ingersoll and area dropped to 10 from 11, Norwich to six from 16 and Tillsonburg and area to three from nine.

East Zorra-Tavistock remained steady at three, Zorra at three and Blandford-Blenheim at two.

Across Ontario, 1,670 new cases were confirmed on Friday, up from 1,563 on Thursday.