Health unit re-imposing limits on social gatherings as cases surge in Windsor-Essex

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is resuming its limits on social gatherings amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the region.

"With cases of COVID-19 climbing steadily in the past month, local health officials are once again putting in place restrictions to curb the spread of the virus," the health unit said in aSunday press release.

Medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai is concerned that cases could reach levels seen last year, the release said,and that immediate action needs to be taken in advance of the holiday season and the social gatherings that come along with it.

Nesathurai put forward the followinginstructions:

• Social gatherings limited to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors.
• Added measures for wedding receptions and the social events tied to funerals and religious services.
• Limiting indoor capacity for bars and restaurants to 50 per centof their total occupancy.
• Strict adherence to face covering requirements in all public settings.

"These additional measures are necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We will continue to review regularly and adjust based on our local data," said Nicole Dupuis, thehealth unit's chief executive officer.

The new measures come into effect at 12:01am on Friday.