News Headlines

Southwestern Public Health Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock, in a weekly news briefing on Wednesday, May 12, said that the health unit was tracking 136 ongoing cases of COVID-19 in Elgin, Middlesex and London, which was a higher number than the previous Wednesday. “We are not heading in the right direction,” she warned.…

In a weekly report issued Monday, May 10, Southwestern Public Health reported that, to date, 77,940 residents of Elgin, St. Thomas had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, an increase of over 10,000 from 66,436 on Monday, May 3. In St. Thomas, 42.3 percent of adult residents have been vaccinated, in Elgin County…

Southwestern Public Health announced Monday, May 10, that a St. Thomas man in his 70s had died as the result of COVID-19. That brings the total number of deaths in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford since the pandemic began to 77. The health unit also reported 58 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the weekend,…

Councillor Rick Cerna, at a Malahide council meeting Thursday, May 6, ripped into Herbert Hildebrandt and his father, controversial Aylmer Church of God Pastor Henry Hildebrandt, and their actions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Herbert Hildebrandt had sent an email to Mayor David Mennill and township councillors about comments the mayor made in a recent interview…

Dr. Joyce Lock, medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health, told health board members at a meeting Thursday, May 6, she expected the current provincial COVID-19 shutdown would continue past the current end date of May 20. The third wave of the pandemic “has been a really tough haul, but we’re heading in the…

Southwestern Public Health, in a weekly COVID-19 surveillance report issued Monday, May 3, announced that about a third of all adults in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford had so far received at least one dose of vaccine for the virus. The health unit has set a goal of vaccinating 150,000 adults, or three-quarters of the…

Southwestern Public Health announced on Monday morning, May 3, that everyone 18 and older residing in the N5H postal code, including all of Aylmer and much of Malahide, could now register for immunization against COVID-19 at one of the health unit’s mass vaccination clinics. Anyone doing so must be prepared to show proof of age…

Justice Bruce Thomas in St. Thomas Superior Court of Justice on Friday morning, April 30 found in contempt: the Church of God (Restoration) as a corporation; Pastor Henry Hildebrandt; and Peter Wall, an assistant pastor and church director. Judge Thomas dismissed an application of contempt against church director Peter Hildebrandt. The findings were in response…

Southwestern Public Health announced Thursday, April 29, that as of Friday, anyone in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford 55 or older in 2021 could book an appointment for a COVID-19 immunization at a mass-vaccination clinic in St. Thomas, Tillsonburg and Woodstock. Previously, the minimum age had been 60. Next week, the health unit said, a…

Aylmer Police arrested a man (in red-and-black jacket) after repeatedly telling him he was too close to them, across from Aylmer Church of God on Sunday afternoon, April 25. The man, who wasn’t wearing a face mask and had been inside the church, had been holding a cell phone close to the officers’ faces, demanding…