Four more COVID-19 deaths reported Tuesday

Southwestern Public Health announced on Tuesday, Jan. 25, that four persons had died during the previous 24 hours in COVID-19 related cases.

They include an Elgin woman in her 80s and an Elgin man in his 90s. Their deaths were linked to outbreaks at long-term care or retirement homes.

In addition, an Oxford man in his 80s and an Oxford woman in her 90s died, though they were not residents of such homes.

The previous day, the health unit had announced that an Elgin man in his 60s and an Oxford woman in her 80s had died in COVID-19-related cases.

The total number of Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford residents who have died since the pandemic began now stands at 136.

SWPH reported Tuesday that 29 local residents were hospitalized with COVID-19-related cases, with eight in intensive care units, down from 51 and 10 respectively on Monday.

Across the province, 4,008 Ontarians with hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 626 of them in ICUs, compared to 3,861 and 615 respectively the previous day.

Southwestern recorded 65 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in its area Tuesday, down from an average of 83 daily over the weekend.

The number of ongoing confirmed cases being tracked by the health unit stood at 743 Tuesday, down from 803 on Monday.

Local ongoing confirmed cases include 216 in St. Thomas and area, 46 in Aylmer and Malahide, 17 in Dutton Dunwich, 15 each in Central Elgin and West Elgin, 13 in Bayham and seven in Southwold.