News
Update on county homes outbreaks
Elgin County on Thursday, Jan. 6, issued updates on COVID-19 outbreaks at its three long-term care homes. Terrace Lodge in Malahide, just east of Aylmer, has a total of four residents and two staff members confirmed as infected with the virus, Elgin Manor in Southwold four residents and three staff members and Bobier Villa in…
Read MoreGoVaxx Bus in Aylmer on Jan. 12
The provincial “GoVaxx” COVID-19 mobile vaccination clinic will be at the East Elgin Community Complex in Aylmer on Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are required and can be booked by going to https://www.ontario.ca/page/go-vaxx-bus-schedule.
Read MoreSTEGH overflowing with patients; another COVID death
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital reported late Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 5, that it is running at 120 percent over its in-patient capacity of 65 beds. Those hospital wards are supposed to house just 65 patients. As of Thursday morning, the hospital has 14 COVID-19 patients in beds, with five of them, all unvaccinated, in STEGH’s…
Read MoreElgin County libraries still open
Elgin libraries are staying open, though at reduced capacity due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, county Community and Cultural Services Director Brian Masschaele said Wednesday, Jan. 5. The occupancy limit inside branches would be limited to 50 percent of full capacity, but otherwise the same services as had been offered…
Read MoreTwo more COVID deaths
Southwestern Public Health reported on Wednesday, Jan. 5, that two more residents of its area had died as a result of COVID-19, a St. Thomas woman in her 50s and an Oxford man in his 80s. That brings the total number of such deaths in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford since the pandemic began to…
Read MorePop-up clinics in Bayham next two Thursdays
Southwestern Public Health on Tuesday, Jan. 4, announced two pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinics coming to Bayham over the next two Thursdays. The clinics will offer Pfizer pediatric vaccine for children 5 through 11, adult Pfizer doses for those 12 through 29 years old and Morderna vaccine for those 30 and older. The first will be…
Read MoreElgin man marks 114th local COVID-19 death
Southwestern Public Health was reporting 169 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Tuesday, Jan. 4. Over the Christmas holiday, new cases had averaged just under 134 daily. The health unit is now tracking 1,379 ongoing confirmed cases in its region, up from 1,287 Monday. The health unit on Tuesday…
Read MoreAlleged murder victim identified by OPP
Elgin County Ontario Provincial Police announced late Monday afternoon, Jan. 3, that the victim of a fatal shooting in Sparta on Saturday night, Jan. 1, was Christopher Robert Roy, 35, of London. Police, firefighters and paramedics responded to a report of a shooting on North Street in Sparta Jan. 1 at about 6:50 p.m. Mr.…
Read MoreNumber of local cases shoot up, but hospitalizations stable
Southwestern Public Health was reporting Monday, Jan. 3, that 1,337 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford since Christmas Eve, but the number requiring hospitalization seems to be remaining stable. On Monday, 12 local residents were hospitalized, seven for them in intensive care units, compared to 13 hospitalizations, five…
Read MoreNo in-person learning for at least two weeks, other new restrictions
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott, in a news conference on Monday morning, Jan. 3, announced that, given just how contagious the Omicron variant of COVID-19 was, schools would be shut down for at least two weeks in favour of remote learning, non-urgent procedures at all hospitals would be postponed, indoor sports…
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