Still No Reported Cases of Coronavirus in Oxford County

Thursday, 12 March 2020 14:53

Southwestern Public Health confirms there is no reported cases of the coronavirus in Oxford, Elgin or St. Thomas. They also discourage panic purchases and offer tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones.

OXFORD/ELGIN/ST.THOMAS - No confirmed cases of the Coronavirus have happened in the Southwestern Public Health region which includes Oxford, Elgin and St. Thomas.

Southwestern Public Health issued a release today confirming the news. They are working closely with community partners, including hospitals, municipalities and long-term care homes to assist health partners and our community to respond to COVID-19, which was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization yesterday.

Under Ontario’s Public Health Standards, each of the province’s 34 public health units are charged with effectively detecting, identifying and managing diseases of public health significance, their risk factors and emerging trends.

This work is informed by provincial partners such as Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Health and federal partners such as the Public Health Agency of Canada. Medical Officer of Health says they are having doing a lot of work at the local level.

“At the local level we have strong partnerships with our health service organizations and highly engaged staff and clinicians who share our concern, passion and commitment to preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Oxford County, Elgin County and the City of St. Thomas.

The illness is spread from person to person through moisture droplets produced by coughs and sneezes. Symptoms include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. Eight in ten infected have mild symptoms.

As of writing, there have been no cases diagnosed in the region. While the Public Health Agency of Canada has assessed the risk to Canadians as low, the situation can change at any moment.

Locak adds that there are steps that all residents can do to stay healthy during what is also flu season.

“The best defense is thorough and frequent handwashing. Keep at least a meter away from people who are coughing or sneezing. Stay home when you are sick, and finally clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces – doorknobs, cell phones, keyboards, faucets, railings, light switches, etc.”

Manager of Emergency response for the organization Hilare Hudson discourages panic purchases and you should not be buying or wearing a mask unless you are sick.

“Families may want to have important medications, non-perishable food, hygiene products, diapers, formula, and pet food on hand to cover a 14 day period in the event that they need to self-isolate, but we don't recommend stockpiling months worth of items that may be needed by a fellow community member.”

You can find more information from the local health unit online here.