Southwestern records 75th COVID-19 death.

Southwestern Public Health reported 26 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Thursday, April 22, down from 28 on Wednesday.

More significantly, the number of ongoing cases being tracked in the region dropped to 168 from 198.

However, Southwestern also announced the 75th death in its area linked to COVID-19 on Thursday, an Oxford man in his 60s.

The number of ongoing cases in St. Thomas and area fell to 54 Thursday from 69 Wednesday, in Aylmer and area and Bayham to five each from six each, in  Central Elgin to two from three and in Malahide to one from two.

Dutton Dunwich saw increased to four from three, while two new cases were discovered in West Elgin.

In Oxford, Woodstock and area decreased to 40 from 44, Norwich to eight from nine, Zorra to five from six and in East Zorra-Tavistock to two from four.

Ingersoll and area rose to eight from three. Blandford-Blenheim stayed at four and South-West Oxford at one. Tillsonburg remained at 27.

Southwestern has so far this year recorded 316 cases involving variants of concern, considered more contagious and/or creating more severe symptoms than the original strain. Of those, 247 have been resolved and 69 are ongoing.

The infection rate for the Southwestern region stands at 79.4 cases per 100,000 of population, down from 88.9 on Wednesday.

Across Ontario, 3,682 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Thursday, down from 4,212 on Wednesday.