NEWS

Local news in and around Aylmer and Elgin County

COVID-19: STEGH worker diagnosed; third Elgin resident dies

April 14, 2020 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health has reported a third death attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic in Elgin and St. Thomas, and also the health unit and St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital jointly announced Tuesday, April 14, that a health care worker at the hospital tested positive for the virus on Monday, April 13. The health unit and…

Conservation authorities issue flood alerts

April 12, 2020 | 0 Comments

Catfish Creek, Kettle Creek and Long Point Regional conservation authorities have all issued alerts about potential lakeshore flooding for Monday afternoon, April 13. That’s in response to a gale storm warning for the Lake Erie Western Basin. The alerts cautioned that strong winds from the south and west on Monday could result in waves three…

Elgin has 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases

April 11, 2020 | 0 Comments

On Saturday morning, April 11, Southwestern Public Health was reporting 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin and St. Thomas. Dutton Dunwich remained a hotspot for the county, with five cases, followed by St. Thomas with four. Aylmer, Central Elgin, Southwold and West Elgin are reported to each have one case.  

Elgin farmers salute hospital workers

April 9, 2020 | 0 Comments

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital staff members, many in protective gear, waved to a passing parade of Elgin County tractors as local farmers saluted the health care workers on Wednesday night, April 8. The procession was organized by Malahide farmer Glen Debrabandere. (AE/Rob Perry)

COVID-19: Three more cases in Elgin-St. Thomas

April 8, 2020 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health’s COVID-19 website chart took a jump by four active cases in Elgin and St. Thomas on Wednesday afternoon, April 8. The number of active cases increased to 11 from seven. Three of the new cases were residents of St. Thomas, for a new total of four, while the number in Dutton Dunwich…

COVID-19: Ongoing cases for Aylmer, Central Elgin

April 6, 2020 | 0 Comments

The municipalities of ongoing confirmed COVID-19 cases in the region were released, with two from Central Elgin and one from Aylmer. This information was made public Monday afternoon, April 6, when Southwestern Public Health updated its case reporting strategy. They are eliminating the list of individual cases and replacing it with summary statistics. The summary statistics…

Rural Internet access a challenge to distance learning

April 3, 2020 | 0 Comments

by Rob Perry of The Aylmer Express Both the Thames Valley District School Board and the London District Catholic School Board have begun rolling out “distance learning” programs for pupils and students who’ve been out of school since the start of March break and aren’t expected to return until at least May 4. One concern…

COVID-19: More clarity on four new Elgin cases

April 2, 2020 | 0 Comments

Southwestern Public Health announced three new Oxford County confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday morning, April 2, and a few more details on four Elgin cases confirmed on Wednesday, April 1. The Oxford cases involved two women in their 50s and one in her 30s. Two of the three were self-isolating at home, while the…

Aylmer Police lay charge for breaching quarantine

April 1, 2020 | 0 Comments

Aylmer Police have charged a town man, 42, with breaking a mandatory 14-day quarantine on Canadians who have returned from abroad. Chief Zvonko Horvat said police received a report on March 30 that the man, who had recently returned from another country, was violating the self-quarantine measure. Police spoke to the man, explained the order…

COVID-19: Second death in region, jump in new cases

April 1, 2020 | 0 Comments

Wednesday, April 1, brought an abrupt increase in the number of confirmed  COVID-19 cases in Elgin and St. Thomas from seven to 11, including the second death from the disease, a woman in her 70s. Of the three other new cases from Elgin, one was someone in their 80s (self-isolating), and two others, an 80s…

First COVID-19 death in region

March 31, 2020 | 0 Comments

The first COVID-19-related death in Elgin was announced by St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital via news release on Tuesday, March 31 morning. (press release in full below) In a telephone press conference late Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Joyce Lock, medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health, said the woman, who died on Monday night, was…

Physicians urge everyone to stay at least six feet apart

March 27, 2020 | 1 Comment

by Rob Perry of The Aylmer Express All current and some retired primary care physicians and nurse-practitioners in Elgin and St. Thomas issued a joint letter on Friday, March 27, imploring local residents to stay at least two metres or six feet away from anyone not in their own household in order to check the…