News

COVID-19: 18 ongoing cases in Elgin

Southwestern Public Health, on Thursday morning, April 16, was reporting 18 ongoing cases of COVID-19 in St. Thomas and Elgin. St. Thomas had seven cases, Dutton Dunwich four, Central Elgin three, and Aylmer, Malahide, Southwold and West Elgin, one each. So far this year, 41 cumulative cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed by medical testing…

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Charged in traffic death

Elgin Ontario Provincial Police have charged an Aylmer man, 67, with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death in relation to a fatal car crash on John Wise Line on December 23, 2019. The crash killed Susana Peters, 62, of Bayham. Elgin OPP Constable Adam Crewdson said the Aylmer man’s eastbound vehicle had crossed…

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STEGH opens assessment centre

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital announced on Wednesday, April 15, that it had opened a COVID-19 assessment centre, but only for patients referred for testing by a physician or Southwestern Public Health. Melissa Beilhartz, on behalf of the hospital, stressed that the centre would not be open to anyone else. “Patients who arrive at the…

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COVID-19: STEGH worker diagnosed; third Elgin resident dies

Southwestern Public Health has reported a third death attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic in Elgin and St. Thomas, and also the health unit and St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital jointly announced Tuesday, April 14, that a health care worker at the hospital tested positive for the virus on Monday, April 13. The health unit and…

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Conservation authorities issue flood alerts

Catfish Creek, Kettle Creek and Long Point Regional conservation authorities have all issued alerts about potential lakeshore flooding for Monday afternoon, April 13. That’s in response to a gale storm warning for the Lake Erie Western Basin. The alerts cautioned that strong winds from the south and west on Monday could result in waves three…

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Elgin has 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases

On Saturday morning, April 11, Southwestern Public Health was reporting 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin and St. Thomas. Dutton Dunwich remained a hotspot for the county, with five cases, followed by St. Thomas with four. Aylmer, Central Elgin, Southwold and West Elgin are reported to each have one case.  

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Elgin farmers salute hospital workers

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital staff members, many in protective gear, waved to a passing parade of Elgin County tractors as local farmers saluted the health care workers on Wednesday night, April 8. The procession was organized by Malahide farmer Glen Debrabandere. (AE/Rob Perry)

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COVID-19: Three more cases in Elgin-St. Thomas

Southwestern Public Health’s COVID-19 website chart took a jump by four active cases in Elgin and St. Thomas on Wednesday afternoon, April 8. The number of active cases increased to 11 from seven. Three of the new cases were residents of St. Thomas, for a new total of four, while the number in Dutton Dunwich…

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COVID-19: Ongoing cases for Aylmer, Central Elgin

The municipalities of ongoing confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region were released, with two from Central Elgin and one from Aylmer. This information was made public Monday afternoon, April 6, when Southwestern Public Health updated its case reporting strategy. They are eliminating the list of individual cases and replacing it with summary statistics. The summary statistics…

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Rural Internet access a challenge to distance learning

by Rob Perry of The Aylmer Express Both the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board have begun rolling out “distance learning” programs for pupils and students who’ve been out of school since the start of March break and aren’t expected to return until at least May 4. One concern…

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