News

Another death linked to COVID-19

Southwestern Public Health was reporting 32 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Tuesday, April 13. The health unit also recorded its 71st death linked to the virus, a Woodstock woman in her 60s. The number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit rose to 177 Tuesday from…

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No return to school after spring break

Thames Valley District School board announced Monday, April 12, that at the instruction of the Ontario government, in-person learning would not resume across the province after the spring break this week. All elementary and secondary students who had attended classes at schools would shift to full remote learning Monday, April 19, the board stated. No…

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STEGH eyes potential service reductions

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital is warning that, while continuing as normal for now, surgical, ambulatory and diagnostic imaging services there might have to be curtailed due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the region. In a statement issued Monday afternoon, April 12, the statement said, “STEGH might need to implement service reductions…

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60 and over eligible for vaccine

The minimum age for Southwestern Public Health residents in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford to register for COVID-19 vaccinations at mass immunization clinics in St. Thomas and Woodstock will be lowered to 60 effective Tuesday morning, April 13. Anyone born in 1961 or earlier will get able to book an appointment starting at 8 a.m.…

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Southwestern COVID-19 counts keep rising

Southwestern Public Health was reporting 65 new cases from the weekend, or an average of over 30 a day, on Monday, April 12, compared to 24 new cases on Friday, April 9. Southwestern also announced the death of a St. Thomas man in his 50s in a case linked to COVID-19. The health unit is…

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New COVID-19 cases jump in Aylmer area, across Ontario

Southwestern Public Health was reporting 24 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, April 9, up from 16 the previous day, and across Ontario, 4,227 new cases were confirmed, up from 3,295 Thursday. In Aylmer and area, the number of ongoing cases being tracked by the health unit jumped to 19 Friday from 11 Thursday.…

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St. Thomas air parade postponed to May 15

St. Thomas Air Fest Salute to All Essential Workers, a parade of planes over that city, has been postponed until Saturday, May 15. The event, featuring a Royal Canadian Air Force C-130H and a variety of other aircraft, had been planned for this Saturday, April 10. In a statement, the Air Fest board said, “For…

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Sixteen new cases in Southwestern region

Southwestern Public Health reported 16 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Elgin, St. Thomas and Oxford on Thursday, April 8, up from nine the previous day. The health unit is now tracking 115 ongoing cases in the region, up from 112. Dutton Dunwich increased to six cases Thursday from two Wednesday and Bayham to two…

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“Worse than worst case” numbers result in stay-at-home order

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, citing increasing admissions to hospitals and intensive care units as a result of COVID-19 variants that were “worse than the worst-case scenarios” previously predicted, declared a new state of emergency for the province and issued a four-week “stay-at-home” order on Wednesday, April 7. Grocery stores and pharmacies will be allowed to…

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