When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time at the Crystal Beach amusement park on the shore of Lake Erie. One of the amusements there was a kids roller coaster, much, much smaller than the famous Comet. Following the data releases from Southwestern Public Health of active Covid-19 cases reminds me of that kids coaster. Small rises and small dips.

Today’s data release, covering Oxford and Elgin counties and the city of St. Thomas, is showing 1 case has been resolved since yesterday, dropping the area grand total to 7 active cases. The resolved case is in St. Thomas, lowering the city’s total to 1, and combined with 1 other active case in Dutton/Dunwich, the Elgin County total drops to just 2 cases.

In Oxford County, there is no change from yesterday. The total remains at 5, with 3 cases in East Zorra/Tavistock and 1 case each in Tillsonburg and Woodstock.

The virus has impacted every aspect of society including religious gatherings. In Tillsonburg, North Broadway Baptist Church plans to open this Sunday for morning services but with new procedures. To comply with government guidelines, the church will be allowed 30% capacity, which means only 50 people will be allowed inside. To attend, you must register in advance online or by calling the church office. An online service will continue to be offered for those who can’t attend in person. Services start at 10:30am. Check with your house of worship in advance to see when and if they are reopening, and what the rules will be going forward from here…for now.

Oxford County Library is offering curbside pick-up of holds at the Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, Norwich, Tavistock and Thamesford branches. Starting Tuesday, June 23, the Plattsville branch will also be offering curbside pick-up by appointment only. Curbside pick-up hours are posted at https://www.ocl.net/Home/Newsroom/News-Details/covid-19-updates.

Websites to check regularly include…

Southwestern Public Health: https://www.swpublichealth.ca/content/community-update-novel-coronavirus-covid-19

Oxford County: http://www.oxfordcounty.ca/covid-19

Town of Tillsonburg: https://www.tillsonburg.ca/en/town-hall/novel-conoravirus-covid-19-information.aspx

Stay safe, stay apart, stay home (as much as possible), stay informed…and wash your hands often.