Pop-up vaccine clinics coming to 2 Windsor-Essex hot spots

People in two priority postal codes in Windsor-Essex N9A and N9C will have a chance to receive a COVID-19vaccine atpop-up clinicsonMonday.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU)said Friday that the locations of the twoclinics won't be announced until that day, and the sites willopen at 9 a.m.

The clinics are opento those 18 and older who live in the postal codesor are essential workers in those areas. They will be operating on a walk-in basis. Proof of address or work identification such as a pay stub is required.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health, explained that people in the neighbourhoods selected face barriers such as socioeconomic status, educationand language.

"We need to be in those communities to ... remove some of these barriers by providing them access," he said at the health unit's daily briefing on Friday.

The health unit expects to administer about 1,000 doses on Monday, about 700 at the downtown location and up to 300 at the west end pop-up, WECHU CEO Theresa Marentette said.

The pop-up clinic announcement comes after the provincial government saidThursdaythat all adultsin designated hot spot postal codes which includes seven areas of Windsor-Essex will be eligible to receive their shots as of the week of May 3.

Ahmed said the health unit will have to look at its supply of vaccines before making an announcement but is hoping to follow the provincial plan.

"We'd like to move forward as quickly as possible but if we don't have enough vaccine, we don't want to move too quickly and then cause more frustration," he said.

The provincial plan also includes expanding eligibility to all adults by the week of May 24.

Since the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began, there have been 165,229shots administered in Windsor-Essex and 151,398 people over one-third of the population have received at least one dose.

WECHU alsoannounced 49new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and there are 16active outbreaks.

Ahmed, who presented a weekly epidemiological report on Friday, said that the region sawsome progress inreducing case counts this week but wants to see further declines.

The weekly case rate per 100,000 people was 82.9 for the last seven day period, he said, which is down from95.9 for the previous period.

P.1 variant found

The region also has seen its first three cases of the P.1. COVID-19 variant of concern that was first found in Brazil.

Ahmed said there is some evidence of travel connected to one case while another has no known source and is under investigation.

Snapshot of the pandemic in Windsor-Essex

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Windsor-Essexhas fallen in recent days. It stands at434, compared with485 last Friday.

Of the 49 new cases announced Friday, eightcases werecommunity acquired, meaning there isn't a known transmission source, 21are close contacts of confirmed cases and 20cases are under investigation.

There are 12workplace outbreaks, including:

• Twoin Leamington's agriculture sector.
• One in Windsor's construction sector.
• One in Tecumseh's construction sector.
• One in Lakeshore's food and beverage sector.
• One in Windsor's food and beverage sector.
• Three in Windsor's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Windsor's manufacturing sector.
• Two in Windsor's retail sector.

There are also outbreaks active atSouthwest Detention Centre,Ecole Secondaire Catholique l'Essor,Parkwood Gospel Church andExtendicare Southwood Lakes.

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton

There were 11 newCOVID-19 cases in Sarnia-Lambton reported on Friday, and 78active cases overall. Lambton Public Health announced Friday that vaccine appointment eligibility would be lowered to 55.

Chatham-Kent, which reported threenew cases Friday,currently has 36active COVID-19 cases.