NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Southwestern records 80th COVID-19 death.

May 25, 2021 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health on Tuesday morning, May 25, announced the death of an Oxford man in his 70s in a case connected to COVID-19. That brings the total number of deaths to date in the pandemic in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford to 80. Southwestern also reported 32 new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed…

Port Burwell vaccine clinic eligibility expanded

May 25, 2021 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health announced Tuesday, May 25, that eligibility to receive vaccinations during a “pop-up” clinic at the fire station in Port Burwell Thursday, May 27, has been expanded to fill remaining appointments. The clinic had previously been restricted to residents of Port Burwell, Vienna and Straffordville. Now, anyone from Elgin, St. Thomas or Oxford…

Teens 12 and over eligible for vaccine

May 21, 2021 | 0 Comments

Anyone 12 and older will become eligible to book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination at a Southwestern Public Health clinic beginning this Sunday, May 23. Only those who will be 12 or older by the date of their appointment are eligible, the health unit stressed. Those 12 through 17  are only eligible for the…

COVID-19 hospitalizations up

May 21, 2021 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health reported 15 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday, May 21, up from 10 the previous day. The number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit rose as well, to 104 from 102. In addition, as of Friday, nine Southwestern region residents were hospitalized because of COVID-19, up from seven…

What’s opening this weekend

May 21, 2021 | 1 Comment

Southwestern Public Health on Friday, May 21, outlined what outdoor recreational facilities would be allowed to open to the public this weekend, and under what conditions: Parks and recreational areas Baseball diamonds Batting cages Soccer, football and sports fields Tennis, platform tennis, table tennis and pickleball courts Basketball courts BMX parks Skate parks Golf courses…

Beach facilities to be opened in Port Bruce, Port Burwell

May 21, 2021 | 0 Comments

Washrooms and parking lots at Port Burwell’s municipal East Beach and in Port Bruce will be open this Saturday. On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford announced that many outdoor recreation facilities would be allowed to re-open this weekend, as long as those using them continued to follow public health guidelines on masking and maintaining physical distancing.…

Port Stanley parking lots to re-open

May 20, 2021 | 1 Comment

Beach parking lots in Port Stanley, closed as part of the provincial COVID-19 shutdown, will re-open on Friday, May 21, Central Elgin announced on Thursday, May 20. Washrooms and the municipal boat launch in Port Stanley will be opened as well, as well as other outdoor recreational facilities including soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts,…

Port Burwell pop-up clinic Thursday, May 27

May 20, 2021 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health announced Thursday, May 20, that a one-day COVID-19 “pop-up” vaccination clinic would be held in partnership with East Elgin Family Health Team at the Port Burwell Fire Station on Thursday, May 27. Up to 400 appointments will be available between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Registration is limited to residents of Port…

Golf courses, marinas and tennis courts can re-open Saturday, May 22–update

May 20, 2021 | 0 Comments

“Outdoor amenities” including golf courses, marinas and tennis courts will be allowed to re-open starting this Saturday, but other provincial lockdown measures will stay in place until at least June 14, when they might begin to be relaxed, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced on Thursday afternoon, May 20. He announced a three-phase program for starting…

Flames, explosions at junk yard fire in Calton late Wednesday night

May 20, 2021 | 0 Comments

Malahide Firefighters were called to their second major fire in two years at a junk yard in Calton on Wednesday, May 19, at 9:55 p.m. The blaze was reclassified as a structural fire, and additional equipment and firefighters from Malahide’s fire stations were called in starting at 10 p.m. Fire Chief Brent Smith said the…

COVID-19 update for Thursday, May 20

May 20, 2021 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health was reporting 10 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Thursday, May 20, down from 14 on Wednesday. The number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit across the region stayed unchanged at 102. In St. Thomas and area, ongoing cases decreased to 14 Thursday…

Aylmer and area catching up on vaccinations; Port Burwell “pop-up” clinic

May 19, 2021 | 0 Comments

The allocation of extra COVID-19 vaccine to the N5H postal code provincial “hot spot,” including all of Aylmer and much of Malahide, appears to be paying off. Despite some local opposition to vaccines, 37.9 percent of the area’s population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine so far. That compares to 41.6 percent…