Southwestern Public Health

Southwestern Public Health Proudly serving St. Thomas, Elgin County, and Oxford County with public health programs, services, and resources to support healthy, vibrant communities. c.

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⚠️COLD WEATHER ALERT⚠️Environment Canada is forecasting temperatures as low as -15˚C and -19˚C with the wind chill, in t...
12/04/2025

⚠️COLD WEATHER ALERT⚠️
Environment Canada is forecasting temperatures as low as -15˚C and -19˚C with the wind chill, in the Oxford County area of SWPH region with cold conditions beginning overnight on Thursday and continuing into the morning on Friday December 5th.

Stay safe: Protect yourself and your loved ones from the risks of frostbite and hypothermia. Those most vulnerable include the elderly, young children, outdoor workers, and anyone without proper shelter.

Read the full details: https://www.swpublichealth.ca/news/posts/southwestern-public-health-issues-a-cold-weather-alert-on-december-4th-2025/

Talk To***co provides culturally inclusive and accessible support and information about quitting smoking, va**ng and com...
12/03/2025

Talk To***co provides culturally inclusive and accessible support and information about quitting smoking, va**ng and commercial to***co use to Indigenous communities. Supports are offered by phone, live chat, email, and text. Services are offered in English and French as well as 24 Indigenous languages through an interpreter service.

Change is in the air.

Talk To***co offers culturally safe support for Indigenous peoples ready to quit commercial to***co.

Talk To***co can help you find the right tools for your quit journey. You can reach us at 1-833-998-8255 (TALK) or for more information visit www.talkto***co.ca.
***co

12/02/2025

The City of Woodstock is advising residents to avoid touching wild birds and bird droppings after two Canada geese in Southside Park tested positive for avian influenza.

Staff have received several reports of sick or dead geese in the park over the last few weeks. As a precaution, two of the dead geese were sent to Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative for testing and the City has been informed that both birds tested positive for avian influenza.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, the H5N1 strain of avian influenza – also known as bird flu – has been circulating in the province since 2022. The virus can cause disease in wild birds, commercial poultry, and wild and domestic mammals. The risk of transmission from infected wild birds to people remains very low. When human infections have occurred, it is almost always following sustained close contact with infected live or dead poultry or contaminated facilities. In addition, there has been no evidence of sustained person-to-person spread of avian influenza.

In consultation with Southwestern Public Health, residents are encouraged to avoid touching all wildlife, and to take precautions when visiting local parks:

• Keep yourself and your pets away from wild birds and bird droppings. If you see a wild bird that is sick, injured or dead, do not touch it.

• Report any sick or dead birds to the Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 1-866-673-4781 or online: https://bit.ly/48ftN1a

• Contact your health care provider if you develop flu-like symptoms and have had contact with a sick or dead bird or animal in the past 10 days. Symptoms of avian influenza can be similar to the seasonal flu, including fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, red eyes, and shortness of breath. Less common symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, and seizures.

Visit www.cityofwoodstock.ca/news to read the full news release and for links to additional resources on avian influenza.

12/02/2025

.
When it comes to Avian Influenza, the risk of transmission from an infected wild bird to humans remains very low.

Here is how you can protect yourself and your family from Avian Influenza – or Bird Flu.

✅Avoid touching all wildlife and take precautions when visiting local parks.

✅Keep yourself and your pets away from wild birds and bird droppings.

✅If you see a wild bird that is sick, injured or dead, do not touch it. Report it the Ontario Regional Centre of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.

✅Contact your health care provider if you develop flu-like symptoms and have had contact with a sick or dead bird or animal in the past 10 days.

Visit our website for more information.
swpublichealth.ca/avianflu

12/01/2025

"Do you think you know the muffin man? The mystery man? No, THE MUFFIN MAN! The certified baker on Drury Lane! OHHH, that guy…”

This season, be sure to buy your holiday treats from inspected kitchens.

If you are unsure, visit our disclosure site at: https://www.healthinspect.ca/Portal/ #/d91bcf23-3c49-43c3-a917-9e14c85c7d9d/disclosure #/d91bcf23-3c49-43c3-a917-9e14c85c7d9d/disclosure

🚨Did you know? Parents and guardians are responsible for updating their school-aged child's records after every vaccinat...
12/01/2025

🚨Did you know? Parents and guardians are responsible for updating their school-aged child's records after every vaccination.

🔗Visit www.swpublichealth.ca/vaccineswork to make sure your child's immunization records are up-to-date

Communities at the Centre – World AIDS Day 2025This year’s theme celebrates the power of community in ending HIV.World A...
12/01/2025

Communities at the Centre – World AIDS Day 2025

This year’s theme celebrates the power of community in ending HIV.

World AIDS Day reminds us: Together, we can make a difference, locally and globally by:
✔ Encouraging fair access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment
✔ Supporting organizations working to end HIV
✔ Connecting with programs that help people living with or at risk for HIV, including infectious disease services

In Southwestern Ontario, care is a community effort. Primary care providers, Community Health Centres, social services, and Southwestern Public Health work alongside partners like Regional HIV/AIDS Connection to offer testing, PrEP information, harm reduction, and compassionate care close to home.

To learn more:
🌐 https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-aids-day/2025 #:~:text=AIDS%20Day%202025-,World%20AIDS%20Day%202025,HIV%20prevention%2C%20testing%2C%20treatment
🌐 https://www.catie.ca/world-aids-day
🌐 https://canfar.com/world-aids-day-2025/?gad_source=1

People are starting to get together for the holidays...and so are germs! Protect yourself and your loved ones this respi...
11/29/2025

People are starting to get together for the holidays...and so are germs! Protect yourself and your loved ones this respiratory season by:

✅ Getting your annual flu shot
✅ Washing your hands often with soap and water
✅ Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow
✅ Cleaning frequently touched surfaces
✅ Staying home when sick
To learn more, visit: https://www.swpublichealth.ca/my-health/infectious-diseases/influenza-flu/

Keep the season joyful and healthy!

This event celebrates an important step toward fostering inclusion and belonging for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in our community!🌈
11/28/2025

This event celebrates an important step toward fostering inclusion and belonging for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in our community!🌈

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR GRAND OPENING!
Drop-in Hub Hours:
Wednesday, December 3 from 2-5 PM
15 St Catharine Street, St Thomas, Unit 305

Opening Celebration:
Wednesday, December 3 at 6 PM
53 Hiawatha Street, St Thomas

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Rainbow Connections—an initiative of the Gender Equality Coalition of Ontario—is officially opening a brand-new drop-in community hub!

The vision of Rainbow Connections is to provide a safe, welcoming, and affirming space for q***r, questioning, and trans youth. This vibrant new location will serve as a drop-in centre, offering valuable resources, supportive programming, and above all, a place where young people can feel truly seen, respected, and celebrated.

This milestone is more than just opening a door—it’s about opening hearts and creating a community where every young person knows they belong. We are deeply grateful for this opportunity to support youth and young adults in St. Thomas and the surrounding communities, ensuring that everyone has a place where they are welcomed, empowered, and free to be themselves.

A HUGE shout out and thank you to United Way, Elgin Middles*x and to Rainbow Optimist for supporting this initiative.

11/27/2025

This week, Environment and Climate Change Canada - Weather launched colour-coded weather alerts to help Canadians quickly understand their level of risk during severe weather.

Know the colours, know the risk. Learn more about colour-coded weather alerts at Canada.ca/Weather-Alerts

Address

1230 Talbot Street
Saint Thomas, ON
N5P1G9

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18009220096

Alerts

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