70,000 Windsor-Essex residents eligible but not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, public health says

Forty-four more people in Windsor-Essex have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the latest daily update from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU).

Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, acting medical officer of health, said Windsor-Essex continues to have the highest proportion of COVID-19 tests coming back positive across Ontario's health units roughly one of out every 10 tests.

"The burden of COVID-19 to the community now is probably greater than it was in the previous wave of COVID," he said during a media briefing on Wednesday morning.

Nesathurai referenced recent dismissals at schools, day cares and at St. Clair College due to COVID-19 exposures.

He said that keeping public schools open for instruction is his top priority.

According to statistics provided by the health unit, an estimated 70,693 people in the region are eligible for vaccination but have not yet gottena single dose.

Nesathuraisaid that anyone who is reluctant to get the shots should consider the benefits not just to themselves, but to those who they love.

"Vaccination, at this point in the pandemic, is probably the most important thing we can do right now," he said.

Despite the increase of 44 new cases on Wednesday, the number of active cases in the community has fallen by 26 since Tuesday.

There are 429 cases active overall. Currently, 16 people with COVID-19 are in hospital and 21 outbreaks are ongoing.

The outbreaksincludeone at Berkshire Care Centre, one at South West Detention Centre and one at a Kiwanis camp in Leamington.

The remainder areat various workplaces:

• Five agriculture businessesin Leamington.
• Two agriculture settings in Kingsville.
• Six health-care and social assistance workplaces in Windsor.
• One health-care and social assistance workplacein Kingsville.
• One health-care and social assistance workplace in LaSalle.
• One manufacturing setting in Windsor.
• One fitness and sports setting in Windsor.
• One in a retail setting in Windsor.

The health unit has issued an alert of a possible exposure to COVID-19 at theDowntown Windsor Farmers Market. Anyone who was thereSaturday Sept. 11, 2021 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. is urged tomonitor themselves for symptoms until Sept. 25 and get tested if they develop. Anyone considered a high-risk contact will be contacted by the health unit.

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton

A dozen newCOVID-19 cases werereported in Chatham-Kent.In total, there are 116 active cases.

Lambton Public Health did not report any new cases on Wednesday, and 29cases are active overall.