COVID cases up slightly; another death

Southwestern Public Health announced Thursday, Jan. 28, the 56th death linked to COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford.

The Oxford woman in her 90s had been a resident at Trillium Retirement Home in Norwich, the health unit reported.

Southwestern also recorded 24 new confirmed cases of the virus across the region on Thursday, up from six the previous day.  The health unit is tracking 187 confirmed ongoing cases, up from 184.

St. Thomas and area dropped to 20 cases Thursday from 25 on Wednesday, Aylmer and area to 17 from 23, and Bayham to five from six.

A new case appeared in Dutton Dunwich, while Malahide remained steady at two, West Elgin at two, Central Elgin at one and Southwold at one.

In Oxford, Woodstock and area rose sharply to 53 from 37 and South-West Oxford to five from four. Tillsonburg and area decreased to 36 from 39, and Ingersoll and area to six from eight. South-A new case appeared in Blandford-Blenheim.

East Zorra-Tavistock stayed steady at 12 and Zorra at one.

The infection rate across the Southwestern Region stands at 88.4 cases per 100,000 of population, up from 87 on Wednesday.

Across Ontario, 2,093 new cases were confirmed on Thursday, up from 1,670 the previous day.