A rural community south of Woodstock is dealing with a sudden jump in COVID-19 cases.
Since November 4, Norwich Township has had 11 confirmed infections. That has led to the voluntary closure of Rehoboth Christian School, a private school run by Netherlands Reformed Church. An outbreak was also declared Thursday at Bethany Care Home, a small retirement facility just steps away from the Norwich school.
Southwestern Public Health, the health unit that oversees Oxford and Elgin counties, said the increase in cases within the small community is not tied to a single event or location.
"There is not one source of transmission or one event to explain this increase in cases. As we have seen across the province, ups and downs in cases are to be expected,” Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock said in a statement.
The new cases are associated with schools, churches, workplaces, and family groupings.
"We are employing a variety of strategies to contain the spread of the virus and reverse the upward trend. We’re working with community leaders, schools, churches and those who care for the seniors and our most vulnerable to the COVID-19 infection,” said Lock.
She is once again emphasizing the importance of physical distancing, wearing a face-covering, frequent handwashing and staying home when feeling unwell. Non-essential travel to regions, especially those in COVID-19 hotspots, is discouraged.
The health unit has reported a total of 411 cases since the start of the pandemic. Sixty-seven of those infections have been confirmed in Oxford County within the last three weeks.
