Latest news with #ElginCounty
CBC
a day ago
- Health
- CBC
Southwestern Public Health ends weekly measles reports amid falloff in local cases
Social Sharing Southwestern Public Health is winding down its weekly measles reports amid a drop in the number of local cases being reported. But health officials stressed on Tuesday that the move doesn't mean the months-long outbreak that prompted them is over. The health unit is instead directing Elgin and Oxford County residents to refer to the measles case reports issued each week by Public Health Ontario, which consists of data from Ontario health units. While SWPH is still conducting its own internal surveillance, not having to prepare and publish local weekly reports will help free up some resources, said Carolyn Richards, the program manager for SWPH's foundational standards team. "Cases are much lower now than they were in the spring. It could be because children are out of school for the summer, like it could be something that's temporary," Richards told CBC News. Richards added that the health unit would consider bringing back the local reports if measles cases began to rise again. In a statement, the region's medical officer of health, Dr. Ninh Tran, said the risk of measles continues for those who are susceptible. "Please continue to be vigilant in preventing measles and protecting yourselves and loved ones through vaccination," he said. Family doctor says measles outbreaks in Canada are entirely preventable 6 days ago While B.C. has recorded a little over 100 cases of measles as of July 5, neighbouring Alberta has recorded more cases than the entirety of the U.S. despite having a fraction of the population. Dr. Susan Kuo, a Richmond family physician, said the current outbreak could be prevented with up-to-date vaccinations, and the COVID-19 pandemic had led to an increase in vaccine skepticism and poor disease mitigation. The health unit began issuing its own weekly reports in April, when the region was Canada's measles hot spot, accounting at one point for nearly half of all measles cases in Ontario. Those numbers have fallen significantly in recent weeks. Last week, the health unit reported only one confirmed case, the same as the previous two weeks. Richards said they were meant to provide the public a more precise, detailed look at the local data in comparison to Public Health Ontario's reports, which provide a broader provincial overview. While the provincial reports used data provided by SWPH, figures could sometimes differ slightly from what local health officials were telling residents due to routine data cleansing. "Now that the numbers are much lower, that risk of a difference between us and the provincial report is so much lower that we can switch to using them as the source," Richards said. Most of the recent cases reported by Public Health Ontario have come from nearby Huron and Perth counties. Of the 32 new cases reported last week, 19 were within the jurisdiction of Huron-Perth Public Health, which covers Clinton, Goderich, Stratford and St. Marys, among other communities. Dr. Miriam Klassen, the region's medical officer of health, told CBC News last week that the cluster of cases was linked to an exposure at a private function, and large households in the community with multiple cases. Measles cases in Alberta surpass 1,300 4 days ago As Alberta's measles outbreak continues to grow, some residents are reconsidering travel plans — particularly families with young children or individuals with autoimmune concerns. Dr. Christopher Labos addresses and debunks common misinformation about measles vaccines and preventative treatments. CORRECTION (July 18, 2025): A previous version of this title incorrectly stated the number of confirmed measles cases in Alberta as 13,000. In fact, the number of cases in the province is 1,300. Ontario had recorded a total of 2,276 measles cases as of last week, linked to a travel-related case in New Brunswick in October. The majority, nearly 74 per cent, involved infants, children, and adolescents 19 and younger, according to Public Health Ontario. Of those, 96 per cent were unvaccinated. At least 68 per cent of adult cases involved unvaccinated individuals. While Ontario's case count is still the country's highest, attention has lately turned to Alberta. The province reported 47 cases over the weekend, bringing its total tally to 1,454 as of Monday.
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
SWPH no longer providing weekly measles updates
Due to the ongoing pattern of fewer measles cases being reported to the health unit, Southwestern Public Health (SWPH) has decided to conclude publishing its weekly Measles Outbreak Report until further notice. Instead, SWPH is encouraging residents of Elgin County, Oxford County, and the City of St. Thomas to view the weekly measles epidemiology report published by Public Health Ontario. 'The decision to end our local measles dashboard does not mean this outbreak has ended. Instead, we are recommending a provincial source to inform our community as we move through this outbreak response,' said Dr. Ninh Tran, Medical Officer of Health. 'The risk of measles persists for those who are susceptible. Please continue to be vigilant in preventing measles and protecting yourselves and loved ones through vaccination.' The latest measles outbreak report from SWPH on July 17 indicated there have been 759 total cases in the region since October 2024.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
OPP officer recovering, London man charged with multiple offences after traffic stop gone wrong
An OPP officer is recovering in hospital and a London man has been charged after a traffic stop went wrong this past weekend. CTV's Brent Lale reports. An OPP officer is recovering in hospital and a London man has been charged after a traffic stop went wrong this past weekend. CTV's Brent Lale reports. As an Elgin County OPP officer recovers in hospital, well wishes are pouring in from police departments around the province. The officer was injured when a traffic stop went wrong near St. Thomas on Sunday. Police say a member of the Highway Safety Division saw a suspicious vehicle travelling on Highway 3 in Elgin County, at which time a traffic stop was initiated. During the investigation, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene, striking the officer with a truck and trailer towing a boat. 'When you do a traffic stop and, there's no such thing as routine,' says Scott Mills of the Ontario Provincial Police Association. 'You always have to take the proper precautions especially when you are policing in a rural area. You're pretty cognizant that backup could be a distance away. The quicker you can call for backup when you think something's going to go wrong, even though if you don't know that it's going to go wrong, the better it is.' OPP OFFICER HIT - JULY 2025 Elgin County OPP investigate after an officer was struck and injured during a traffic stop near St. Thomas, Ont. On July 19, 2025 (Brent Lale/CTV News London) Elgin County OPP and Medavie-Elgin EMS were dispatched to the scene to assist and the officer was transported to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the suspect vehicle was later arrested in Shedden, Ont. with witnesses saying there were close to a dozen OPP officers and the person was taken custody in handcuffs. The incident happened on Highway 3 near the Burwell Rd. bridge and the road was closed from Centennial Ave to First Ave for the afternoon. Mills, who was a police officer for 30 years in Toronto and Peel Region says officers risk their lives everyday to protect. 'Personally, I've stopped vehicles where they've had a loaded handgun under the seat and one thing leads to another and it happens pretty quickly,' says Mills. 'When you're in this situation, it can be quite frightening for a police officer and it just goes to show that the police officers that are out there, serving and protecting in the province of Ontario, they go above and beyond. They're always at risk. They're always in a potentially dangerous situation,' he added. A 40 year old from London is facing several charges.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Officer struck during traffic stop
As an Elgin County OPP officer recovers in hospital, well wishes are pouring in from police departments around the province.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
‘No such thing as routine, you are always at risk': Elgin OPP officer recovering after traffic stop gone wrong
As an Elgin County OPP officer recovers in hospital, well wishes are pouring in from police departments around the province. As an Elgin County OPP officer recovers in hospital, well wishes are pouring in from police departments around the province. The officer was injured when a traffic stop went wrong near St. Thomas on Sunday. Police say a member of the Highway Safety Division saw a suspicious vehicle travelling on Highway 3 in Elgin County, at which time a traffic stop was initiated. During the investigation, the driver of the vehicle fled the scene, striking the officer. 'When you do a traffic stop and, there's no such thing as routine,' says Scott Mills of the Ontario Provincial Police Association. 'You always have to take the proper precautions especially when you are policing in a rural area. You're pretty cognizant that backup could be a distance away. The quicker you can call for backup when you think something's going to go wrong, even though if you don't know that it's going to go wrong, the better it is.' Elgin County OPP and Medavie-Elgin EMS were dispatched to the scene to assist and the officer was transported to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the suspect vehicle was later arrested in Shedden, Ont. with witnesses saying there were close to a dozen OPP officers and the person was taken custody in handcuffs. The incident happened on Highway 3 near the Burwell Rd. bridge and the road was closed from Centennial Ave to First Ave for the afternoon. Mills, who was a police officer for 30 years in Toronto and Peel Region says officers risk their lives everyday to protect. 'Personally, I've stopped vehicles where they've had a loaded handgun under the seat and one thing leads to another and it happens pretty quickly,' says Mills. 'When you're in this situation, it can be quite frightening for a police officer and it just goes to show that the police officers that are out there, serving and protecting in the province of Ontario, they go above and beyond. They're always at risk. They're always in a potentially dangerous situation,' he added. A 40 year old from London is facing several charges.
