News

Cases increase in Oxford

Three new cases in East Zorra-Tavistock have brought the number of ongoing incidents of COVID-19 in Oxford County to four. The fourth case is in Tillsonburg. Southwestern Public Health continues to report two ongoing cases in St. Thomas, and none in Elgin County municipalities.

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Tornado touch down causes damage

A tornado touched down east of Belmont on Wednesday night, causing major damage to barns and hydro poles. Environment Canada confirmed that tornado, as well as a second one west of London, as part of a thunderstorm that rolled through the area.

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Visits to long-term care and other homes to resume June 18

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday, June 11, that visits to long-term care homes would be allowed to resume starting Thursday, June 18, but on a “cautious” basis, along with retirement homes and “congregate living” facilities for children, persons with developmental disabilities and those sheltering from gender-based violence. The province restricted such homes to only…

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Elgin beaches to open Monday, June 22

Central Elgin Mayor Sally Martyn, right, with some fellow municipal councillors and emergency services representatives, announced Thursday, June 11, that beaches in Port Stanley would re-open to the public on Monday, June 22. The same was true for municipal beaches in Bayham, Malahide and West Elgin, plus Grand Bend in Lambton Shores, she said. The…

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Elgin beaches won’t re-open this weekend, possibly longer

Central Elgin Administrator Don Leitch said Monday night, June 8, that Port Stanley beaches wouldn’t be opening this coming weekend, and neither would other municipal beaches in Elgin County. He told Central Elgin councillors that a joint task force involving the four Elgin municipalities that had public Lake Erie beaches, along with Southwestern Public Health…

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You can get a haircut starting Friday

Hair salons,  barbershops and other personal service businesses, except for those providing facial services, will be allowed to re-open this Friday as most of Ontario moves to “Phase 2” of its plan to get the provincial economy moving again. Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Monday, June 8, the government was taking a regional approach to…

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Down to just three area cases of COVID-19

Southwestern Public Health was reporting just three ongoing confirmed cases of COVID-19 in St. Thomas and Oxford County on Saturday, June 6. Two are in St. Thomas, and are related to the recent institutional outbreak at Ontario Plants Propagation in Southwold. One remains in Tillsonburg. No cases are reported in Elgin County municipalities. Most infected…

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Six ongoing COVID-19 cases in Southwestern area

Southwestern Public Health was reporting six ongoing cases of COVID-19 in St. Thomas and Oxford on Thursday morning, June 4. Elgin County municipalities currently have no ongoing cases, and St. Thomas two. Tillsonburg has two, Ingersoll one and Woodstock one in Oxford County. So far, 65 residents in the Southwestern area have recovered from COVID-19,…

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More money for rural high-speed Internet

Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Wednesday, June 3, announced an additional $150-million in funding to encourage private providers to bring high-speed Internet access to rural parts of the province and the North. That’s on top of $315-million in similar funding announced last year, he said. “Reliable high-speed Internet is no longer a luxury.” Twelve percent…

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Elgin technically free of COVID-19 confirmed cases but…

Southwestern Public Health on Tuesday morning, June 2, was still reporting no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any Elgin County municipalities, but like some modern sports records, that comes with an asterisk. About 20 cases of the virus have been confirmed among workers at Ontario Plants Propagation in Southwold during the last week. However, all…

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