NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

Don’t get tested unless symptomatic: health unit

September 23, 2020 | 0 Comments

Dr. Joyce Lock, medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health, issued a statement Wednesday morning, Sept. 23, asking that local residents book appointments for COVID-19 testing only if they have a symptom of the disease. Those instructed by a physician or public health to see testing should also do so, Dr. Lock said. “The…

First COVID-19 case in TVDSB school

September 22, 2020 | 0 Comments

The first case of COVID-19 confirmed by testing in the Thames Valley District School Board was revealed to be at H.B. Beal Secondary School on Monday, Sept. 21 Neither TVDSB nor Middlesex-London Health Unit was willing to say if the case involved a student, teacher or other staff member. However, on Tuesday, Sept. 22, a…

Ford: Get your flu shots

September 22, 2020 | 0 Comments

Premier Doug Ford on Tuesday, Sept. 22, told Ontarians their first step in dealing with the expected second wave of COVID-19 infections should be to get flu vaccinations. Doing so would prevent illness and trips to the emergency room, and free healthcare workers to deal with COVID-19 cases, he said. Tuesday was the start of…

Social gathering limits slashed

September 19, 2020 | 0 Comments

The Ontario government on Saturday, Sept. 18, drastically reduced the number of participants who could attend “informal social gatherings” such as birthday parties and backyard barbecues to a maximum of 10 indoors and 25 outdoors, effective for the next four weeks. The former limits had been 50 for indoor gatherings and 100 for outdoors. Premier…

Rescue aircraft overhead, boat limps back to Port Bruce

September 18, 2020 | 0 Comments

An 18-foot fishing boat ran out of fuel for its main engine in Lake Erie off Port Bruce Thursday night, Sept. 17, as waters became rough, Elgin Ontario Provincial Police Constable Troy Carlson reported. Two adults, 30 and 23, were on the boat and called for help at 9:18 p.m. In conjunction with the Joint…

Ontario clamping down on illegal social event organizers

September 17, 2020 | 0 Comments

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, alarmed by increasing numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases across Ontario, said that as of Friday, Sept. 18, anyone organizing a social event that exceeded local limits on such gathering would be charged and potentially subject to a $10,000 fine. That’s on top of a $750 fine that could be levied against…

COVID-19 back on upswing, mostly in Woodstock

September 16, 2020 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health was reporting a total of nine ongoing cases of COVID-19 confirmed by testing on Wednesday, Sept. 16, an increase of four from the previous day. One new case was reported in Central Elgin, and three more in Woodstock and area, which was now at a total of seven. One ongoing case continues…

Premier: cut out “social gatherings”

September 14, 2020 | 0 Comments

Ontario Premier Doug Ford pleaded with residents of the province to cut out “social gatherings” like parties and weddings as they saw a sharp, sudden increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, Sept. 14. “We all know a second wave of this virus is coming,” Premier Ford said in a daily news…

COVID-19: Local cases stay low as metropolitan numbers increase

September 14, 2020 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health was continuing to report only one ongoing case of COVID-19 confirmed by testing in Elgin and St. Thomas on Monday, Sept. 14, that being in Bayham. However, two new cases have appeared in Woodstock and area for a total of four there. While local numbers remain low, 313 new cases of the…

No current cases in Aylmer, one in Bayham

September 12, 2020 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health was reporting just one ongoing case of COVID-19 confirmed by testing in Elgin and St. Thomas on Saturday, Sept.12. That one case was in Bayham. Another case in Aylmer has been resolved. A new case has appeared in Woodstock, in Oxford County, in recent days. That brings the total number of ongoing…

TVDSB postpones start of remote learning

September 11, 2020 | 0 Comments

Thames Valley District School Board announced on Friday, Sept. 11, that full remote learning for elementary pupils won’t begin now until Wednesday, Sept. 16 and for secondary students on Thursday, Sept. 17. The original start date had been Monday, Sept. 14. The board, in a statement, blamed the challenge in establishing a remote learning system…

Overdose victim revived with Naloxone

September 9, 2020 | 0 Comments

An Elgin-St. Thomas Emergency Medical Services (EMS) paramedic used Naloxone to revive a woman, 24, who was unresponsive after a suspected overdoes of “purple” fentanyl, a powerful narcotic, in Aylmer on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Aylmer Police, in an online statement, said officers, paramedics and Aylmer Fire Service responded to the suspected overdose on Forest Street.…