Southwestern: 25 deaths so far in January

Southwestern Public Health announced on Friday, January 28, that an Oxford man in his 90s had died with COVID-19, a case connected to an outbreak in a long-term care or retirement home.

His was the 138th death related to COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford since the pandemic began in March of 2020, and the 25th death for far this month.

Currently, 17 out of 34 long-term care or retirement homes in the region are experiencing a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak.

The health unit also reported 74 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in its area Friday, down from 85 on Thursday. SWPH is currently tracking 721 ongoing cases, down from 732 Thursday.

Local confirmed cases include 194 in St. Thomas and area, 53 in Aylmer and Malahide, 23 in West Elgin, 22 each in Central Elgin and Dutton Dunwich, 10 in Bayham and two in Southwold.

SWPH reported that 25 area residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday, eight of them in intensive care units, compared to 28 hospitalized with 10 in ICUs Thursday.

Across the province, 3,535 Ontarians were hospitalized Friday with 607 in ICUs, compared to 3,645 and 599 respectively the previous day.