News Headlines
No confirmed cases in Aylmer for now
Southwestern Public Health was reporting no confirmed ongoing cases of COVID-19 in Aylmer and area on Tuesday, Feb. 23, down from one on Monday. Six new cases were confirmed by testing in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Tuesday, but the number of ongoing cases across the region dropped to 35 from 40. St. Thomas…
Read MoreNo new cases reported Monday
Southwestern Public Health reported no new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, Feb. 22, the first time that has happened in months. The number of ongoing cases in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford dropped to 40 Monday from 43 on Sunday. St. Thomas and area stayed at nine ongoing cases and Aylmer and area, Dutton…
Read MoreTwo deaths linked to COVID-19-updated
Southwestern Public Health was reporting two fatalities connected to COVID-19, one involving at resident at Aylmer Retirement Residence, on Saturday, Feb. 20. That brought the number of deaths in the Southwestern region linked to COVID-19 to 67. One of the fatalities was an Elgin woman in her 90s who resided at Aylmer Retirement Residence, and…
Read MoreMajor fire at Walker Farms-updated
A major fire erupted in at least one barn at Walker Farms in Summers Corners on Wednesday, Feb. 17, just before 5 p.m. Firefighters streamed in from Malahide, Bayham, Central Elgin and Aylmer to fight the blaze, including Aylmer’s aerial truck, seen here. Meanwhile, workers drove cows that had been evacuated from barns towards waiting…
Read MoreKeep up good work, health unit urges
Dr. Joyce Lock, medical officer of health for Southwestern Public Health, says she’s pleased with the continued downward trend in the number of COVID-19 cases in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford, but doesn’t want the public becoming complacent about precautions they should take. During a weekly news conference Wednesday, Feb. 17, she said everyone should…
Read MoreElgin, St. Thomas, Oxford will move to “red” COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday, Feb. 16
Southwestern Public Health has announced that Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford will be in the “red-control” zone of COVID-19 restrictions when a provincial lockdown comes to an end on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Events and social gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of five persons indoors or 25 outside. Religious, wedding and funeral services can…
Read MoreCentral Elgin abandons Port Stanley heritage conservation district
Central Elgin councillors, in a surprise vote at the end of a three-and-a-half hour public hearing Wednesday night, Feb. 10, voted 4-3 to abandon further consideration of a heritage conservation district in Port Stanley. Deputy Mayor Tom Marks proposed the same motion he had at a regular council session on Monday night, but that was…
Read MoreLockdown to end locally on Tuesday, Feb. 16
The Southwestern Public Health area and most other regions will come out of the current provincial COVID-19 “lockdown” on Tuesday, Feb. 16, Premier Doug Ford announced on Monday, Feb. 8. A few regions in Eastern Ontario will open sooner, and Toronto, York and Peel will have to wait until Monday, Feb. 22. “Today we’re seeing…
Read MoreAttorney General issues cease and desist order against Church of God
The Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General has issued a “cease and desist letter naming any pastors, elders and directors of the Church of God” on John Street North in Aylmer, town police announced on Thursday, Feb. 4. Deputy Chief Nick Novacich said the letter was served on church Pastor Henry Hildebrandt on Thursday morning.…
Read MoreTillsonburg cases down to single digit; two more deaths
For the first time in many weeks, the number of ongoing cases being tracked by Southwestern Public Health in Tillsonburg and area has dropped to a single digit. At times in January, the number had been well over 100, but on Thursday, Feb. 4, the health unit reported Tillsonburg and area was at just nine…
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