Elgin man in 80s latest COVID-related death

Southwestern Public Health announced on Wednesday, Feb. 9, that an Elgin man in his 80s with COVID-19 had died, the 144th such fatality since the pandemic began in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford.

The health unit also reported that 20 area residents were hospitalized with COVID-19, five on them in intensive care units, on Wednesday, down from 29 and five respectively on Monday.

The number of confirmed outbreaks of two or more cases of the virus in long-term care and retirement homes also dropped, to eight out of 34 from Monday’s 12.

The most recent positivity rate for COVID-19 testing came back at 14.9 percent as of Jan. 30, down from 15.7 percent on Jan. 23.

Southwestern also reported 91 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in its area on Wednesday or an average of just over 45 a day, compared to an average of just over 46 a day over the weekend.

The health unit is currently tracking 489 ongoing confirmed cases in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford, down from 521 Monday.

Local ongoing confirmed cases include 162 in St. Thomas and area, 32 in Aylmer and Malahide, 11 in Central Elgin, nine in West Elgin, six in Dutton Dunwich, four in Southwold and one in Bayham.