COVID-19 update for Friday, May 8

The number of ongoing cases of COVID-19 in Elgin and St. Thomas has dropped to four, though a “new” one has appeared in Malahide Township recently.

Megan Cornwell, communications director for Southwestern Public Health, said the new case was unusual.

The person’s spouse had developed COVID-19 earlier this year after returning from a trip. Both showed symptoms, but only the spouse was tested at the time due to shortages in testing supplies.

The “new” case was only recently confirmed through testing from the person’s physiciajn.

The person involved had been feeling better for a while, she noted, but a “negative” result from testing could take some time, even after someone had recovered.

Two of the current ongoing local cases are in Malahide, and two in St. Thomas. Oxford has nine ongoing cases.

To date, 45 persons in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford have recovered from COVID-19, and four have died from it.