993 new COVID-19 cases reported as of Christmas Eve in Windsor-Essex

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit in southwestern Ontario on Wednesday reported 993 new COVID-19 cases that go back to Dec. 24.

Local public health had suspended daily updatesdue to the holidays. Here's the newly released breakdown of cases:

• Dec. 24: 162.
• Dec. 25: 122.
• Dec. 26: 107.
• Dec. 27: 262.
• Dec. 28: 153.
• Dec. 29: 187.

Public health reported no new deaths for the region during this period. Currently, there are1,125 active cases in the community.

Two confirmed cases of the Omicron variant were reported in Windsor-Essex over the past couple weeks. No new cases were reported by WECHU on Wednesday, but officials say there is a lagfor positive case results, whether avariant is detected or not.

"I think that the general view is that by the end of the month, Omicron will be the dominating strain," acting medical officer of health Dr.Shanker Nesathurai said in a media briefing Wednesday.

WECHU also reported Wednesday that vaccine rollout has been busy overthe holidays with up to 3,000 people getting a jab at the mass vaccination site daily. Booking availability, at WeVax.ca, has also opened for the vaccination sites in Leamington andHtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. Appointments at those locations start Jan. 5.

Two long-term care homes in the region remain under outbreakFranklin Gardens Long-Term Care Home andSun Parlor Home for Senior Citizens.

There are outbreaks across nine workplaces andfour community settings in the region, however the heath unit provides little data that could identify these places.

Eighteen schools and child-care centres are under an outbreak, meaning a positive case was identified, investigated, and potentially dismissals. Those settings are:

• Leamington District Secondary School.
• Centennial Central Public School.
• East Mersea Public School.
• John Campbell Public School.
• Our Lady of the Annunciation Latchkey Daycare and Learning Centre.
• M S Heatherington Public School.
• Maranatha Christian Academy.
• St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School.
• Stella Maris Catholic School.
• E Elem C Ste-Marguerite-D'Youville.
• Gore Hill Public School.
• St. Louis Catholic School.
• D M Eagle Public School.
• George P Vanier Elementary School.
• Olivia DiMaio Early Childhood Centre, Lakeshore.
• Jack Miner Public School.
• Cosmopolitan Kids Inc.
• Kingsville District High School.

COVID-19 testslimited locally, no-visitor policies in hospitals

There's limited availability for a COVID-19 test appointment in Windsor, just days after the holidays.

Windsor Regional Hospital's COVID-19 assessment centrewhich is by appointment only had no or very limited slots for the week, as of Wednesday morning.

The hospital'sPaediatric Urgent Medical Assessment youth clinic at the Met campus had someslots available Thursday of this week only,as of Wednesday morning.

A spokesperson for the hospitaltold CBC News on Tuesday it is difficult to create more appointments, but officials are aware of the demand.

TheMedical Laboratories of Windsor, which provides free symptomatic COVID-19 testing by appointment, also had to create more room for appointments on Tuesdaydue to demand following the holidays.

"One thing to think about is as testing capacity becomes diminished where we currently are at in the pandemiccase counts are not the best metric to measure burden of disease in the community," Nesathurai said on Wednesday.

Windsor-Essex's top doctor explained that deaths, hospitalizationsand intensive care patients with COVID-19 may be a better indicator for how the disease is tracking in the community as case counts become unmanageable to predict.

"We'll wait for provincial guidance on this item but with diminished testing there's limited or no ability to call outbreaks."

This week, Windsor Regional Hospital, Erie Shores HealthCareand Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare have implemented no-visitor policies amid the spike in new cases.

The policy beginsThursday, withsome exceptionsfor dying patients, child birthor minors.

Hospital officials say the decision was made to protect both patients and staff.

COVID-19 in Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham-Kent

Sarnia-Lambton reported 532 active COVID-19 casesas of Wednesday.

Chatham-Kent reported 18new COVID-19 cases with 287active cases.