Case numbers inch upward

Southwestern Public Health reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Sunday, Feb. 7, down from 14 on Saturday.

The number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit increased to 135 from 126.

St. Thomas and area rose to 22 cases on Sunday from 19 Saturday. Elgin communities remained steady, with Dutton Dunwich at three, Aylmer and area at two, Malahide at two, Bayham at one, Central Elgin at one and West Elgin at one.

In Oxford, Ingersoll and area increased to 12 from nine and Norwich to six from four, while a new case appeared in Blandford-Blenheim.

Woodstock stayed steady at 76 cases, Tillsonburg and area at three, Zorra at three and East Zorra-Tavistock at two.

The infection rate for the Southwestern region stands at 63.8 cases per 100,000 of population, up from 59.6 on Saturday.

Across Ontario, 1,489 new cases were confirmed on Saturday, up from 1,388 on Saturday.