News
County updates outbreaks, coming changes to homes’ rules
In a statement issued Friday, Feb. 2, Elgin County announced that two of its three long-term care homes, Terrace Lodge in Malahide and Bobier Villa in Dutton, were currently free of COVID-19 outbreaks that started in January. Elgin Manor remains in an outbreak, with confirmed cases of the virus in one residential wing and suspected…
Read MoreTwo COVID-19-related deaths recorded
A St. Thomas woman in her 90s and a woman, also in her 90s, residing at Caressant Care Bonnie Place long-term care home in St. Thomas, died in COVID-19 related cases, Southwestern Public Health reported on Friday, Feb. 4. Bonnie Place is one of 12 long-term care and retirement homes in Elgin, St. Thomas and…
Read More“Freedom Convoy” rolls through Aylmer
A pedestrian gave his opinion of a “Freedom Convoy” of anti-vaccine mandate protesters that drove through Aylmer starting shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3. Most of the convoy was made up of private cars and similar vehicles, with a few transport trucks and tractors thrown in. Police Chief Zvonko Horvat reported no untoward…
Read MoreElgin woman in her 70s latest COVID-19-related death
Southwestern Public Health announced on Wednesday morning, Feb. 2, that an Elgin woman in her 70s had died with COVID-19, the 140th such fatality in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford since the pandemic began in March of 2020. The health unit, now updating COVID-19 numbers on Monday, Wednesday and Friday instead of every weekday, reported…
Read MoreJust over half of Bayham fully vaccinated
Bayham continues to have the lowest percentage of residents fully vaccinated (two doses) against COVID-19, at 52.6 percent of the total population, followed by the north end of Malahide at 56.4 percent and Aylmer and the south end of Malahide at 62.8 percent, based on data from Southwestern Public Health. By comparison, 89.7 percent of…
Read MoreJohn Wise PS closes temporarily, online learning instead
Thames Valley District School Board announced on Tuesday, Feb. 1, that John Wise Public School in St. Thomas would be temporarily closed as of the next day to in-person learning as the result of staff shortages. Instead, pupils will switch to online learning until returning to the school on Monday, Feb. 7. Classroom teachers are…
Read MoreWider eligibility for walk-in appointments
Effective immediately, Southwestern Public Health will open its mass vaccination clinics in St. Thomas, Tillsonburg and Woodstock to anyone 50 or older seeking a booster dose, pregnant women and anyone seeking a first dose, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. any day they are open, without the need for an advance reservation. The health unit…
Read MoreOxford man is 139th COVID-related death
Southwestern Public Health announced on Monday, Jan. 31, that an Oxford man in his 60s had died in a case related to COVID-19. His was the 139th such death in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March of 2020, and the 26th in January. The health unit also reported some…
Read MoreSouthwestern: 25 deaths so far in January
Southwestern Public Health announced on Friday, January 28, that an Oxford man in his 90s had died with COVID-19, a case connected to an outbreak in a long-term care or retirement home. His was the 138th death related to COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford since the pandemic began in March of 2020, and…
Read MoreSchool absenteeism controversy at TVDSB
On Tuesday night, Jan. 25, Thames Valley District School Board trustees, over the opposition of Education Director Mark Fisher, voted 6-5 to adopt the following motion: “That the director of education take reasonable steps to publicly report data to the extent it is available on COVID-19 cases in TVDSB schools; “That the TVDSB ensure families…
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