Southwestern COVID-19 cases top 40, highest in three months

Southwestern Public Health was tracking 41 ongoing cases of COVID-19 on Friday, Sept. 10, the first time it has been over 40 since June 4.

On Thursday, the number of ongoing cases had stood at 37.

Friday, Southwestern reported seven new confirmed cases in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford, down from nine on Thursday.

St. Thomas and area had nine ongoing cases Friday, up from eight on Thursday, while Aylmer and area remained at five.

In Oxford, Woodstock and area had 12 cases, up from 11, and South-West Oxford eight, up from six. Ingersoll and area remained at three, Blandford-Blenheim at two and Tillsonburg and area and Zorra at one each.

Two Southwestern residents are hospitalized with COVID-19, one in an intensive care unit.

The infection rate for the Southwestern region stands at 19.4 cases per 100,000 of population, up from 17.5 on Thursday.

Across Ontario, 848 new cases were confirmed on Friday, up from 789 on Thursday.

Thames Valley District School Board announced the first two new cases of COVID-19 in its schools since in-person learning resumed Tuesday, Sept. 7, one in Westfield Public School in Tillsonburg and one at College Avenue Secondary School in Woodstock.