Southwestern records 46 confirmed new cases

Southwestern Public Health reported Thursday, Dec. 16, that 46 new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed overnight in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford, up from 26 new cases the previous day.

However, the number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit dropped, to 208 from 229.

(Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock announced Thursday morning that SWPH’s electronic COVID-19 “dashboard” for its region was being altered so that any new cases listed on it would be dropped automatically after 10 days had elapsed, whatever the outcome.)

As of Thursday, 11 area residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, seven of them in intensive care units.

An outbreak of the virus at Caressant Care on Bonnie Place long-term care home in St. Thomas has grown to include 11 residents and nine staff members so far. One person has died as a result.

Local ongoing cases include 60 in St. Thomas and area, 18 in Aylmer and area, eight in Dutton Dunwich, seven in Central Elgin, four each in Malahide and Bayham, three in Southwold and two in West Elgin.

The rate of ongoing cases per 100,000 of population stands at 98.3, down from 108.3 on Wednesday.

Across Ontario, 2,421 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed Thursday, up from 1,808 the previous day.