Tillsonburg cases down to single digit; two more deaths

For the first time in many weeks, the number of ongoing cases being tracked by Southwestern Public Health in Tillsonburg and area has dropped to a single digit.

At times in January, the number had been well over 100, but on Thursday, Feb. 4, the health unit reported Tillsonburg and area was at just nine ongoing cases, down from 15 the previous day.

Southwestern recorded 11 new cases of COVID-19 across Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Thursday, up from seven on Wednesday. A total of 134 active cases were being monitored Thursday, down from 142.

The health unit also announced two more deaths related to COVID-19, one an Oxford man in his 70s and the other an Oxford woman in her 80s who was a resident at Caressant Care Retirement Home in Woodstock, which is experiencing a major outbreak, with 40 residents and 11 staff members infected with COVID-19.

That brings the death toll connected to COVID-19 so far in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford to 61.

St. Thomas and area increased to 15 ongoing confirmed cases Thursday from 14 Wednesday and Aylmer and area to five from four, and a new case appeared in Central Elgin. Bayham decreased to two cases from three.

Dutton Dunwich remained steady at three cases, West Elgin at two and Malahide at one.

In Oxford, Woodstock and area rose marginally to 61 from 60. Norwich decreased to 16 from 18, Blandford-Blenheim to two from three and South-West Oxford to one from two.

Ingersoll and area stayed steady at 11, East Zorra-Tavistock at three and Zorra at three.

The infection rate across the Southwestern region now stands at 63.4 cases per 100,000 of population, down from 67.1 on Wednesday.

Across Ontario, 1,563 new cases were confirmed on Thursday, up from 1,172 on Wednesday.