Windsor-Essex health unit 'hopeful' as COVID-19 cases continue to drop

Windsor-Essex's COVID-19 vaccination rollout is set to hit a milestone Thursday, when vaccineswill be administered at the last retirement home in the regionawaiting the shot.

The health unit's top doctor also expressed optimism about a "slight improvement"in the region's recent COVID-19 case counts.

But Windsor-Essexis still seeing the consequences of high community spread, according to Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health with Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Three new deaths were reported Thursday, and 110people are currently in hospital with COVID-19.

"All these consequences that we're observing right now is a lagging indicator of what happened a fewweeks ago or about a month ago," said Ahmed.

The region reported 101 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The three people who died were women who lived in seniors' homes.

There are currently 2,216active cases of COVID-19 in the region, a number that has fallen by about 600 cases in one week.

"We are making process little by little. I am hopeful.I am optimistic," Ahmed said, adding that the progress is a result of collective efforts to control the spread of the virus.

Vaccinations nearly complete at seniors' homes

Meanwhile, the health unit expects to completethe first wave of shotsatseniors' homes Thursday, pending vaccinationsat one lastfacility.

Residents, staff and essential caregivers in more than 40 homes throughout the region were eligible, though many people still need to be vaccinated becauseCOVID-19 meant they couldn't get the shot.

There are 19 homes currently in outbreak, with hundreds of residents and staff infected.

On Wednesday, the health unit announced that second visits to follow up with those still needing a first dose are being delayed due to the tight supply of the Moderna vaccine.

Supply of asecond vaccine fromPfizer-BioNtech, which is being distributed through Windsor Regional Hospital,is expected to be drastically reduced as well.

Ahmed said the delay represents a hiccup but that theregion is likely ahead of many others in the province when it comes to vaccine rollout.

49 active outbreaks, 11 on farms

Theresa Marentette, CEO and chief nursing officer, said there are 49 active outbreaks in the region.

They include 11 outbreaks in the agrifarm sector with 57 active cases, 255 people recovered and 104 isolating in hotels.

Death toll hits 280

Overall in the pandemic, 280people in Windsor-Essex have lost their lives toCOVID-19.

Of the 101 new COVID-19 cases announced Thursday, 18are connected to outbreaks, 11are close contacts of confirmed cases while72remain under investigation.

Out of the 49 outbreaks, five were at hospitals. There were fouroutbreaks active at Windsor Regional Hospital and one at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare.

A second outbreak at Hotel Dieu's Crisis and Mental Wellness Centre, which was declared on Jan. 9, is now over. The outbreak saw two staff test positive.

Two community settings, both Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario locations, were in outbreak on Thursday.

Outbreaks were active at 23workplaces:

• Seven in Leamington's agriculturalsector.
• Fourin Kingsville's agriculturalsector.
• Four in Windsor's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Lakeshore's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Kingsville's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Windsor's manufacturing sector.
• One in a personal service setting in LaSalle.
• Onein a public administration settingin Windsor.
• One in a retail setting in Essex.
• One in a retail setting in Lakeshore
• One in a transportation and warehousing setting in Windsor

There are 19active outbreaks at long-term care and retirement facilities:

• Chartwell Leamingtonin Leamington with one staff case.
• Regency Park in Windsor with seven resident cases and five staff cases.
• Chartwell Royal Marquis, with one resident case and one staff case.
• Harrow Woods Retirement Home, with sixresident cases and twostaff cases.
• Seasons Retirement Home in Amherstburg, with threestaff cases.
• Devonshire Retirement Residence in Windsor, with 31resident cases and sixstaff cases.
• Chartwell Royal Oak in Kingsville, with twostaff cases.
• Rosewood Erie Glen in Leamington, with 36resident cases and sixstaff cases.
• Leamington Mennonite Home with sevenstaff cases.
• Augustine Villas in Kingsville, with 60resident and 16staff cases.
• Sunrise Assisted Living of Windsor, with 13resident cases and eight staff cases.
• Huron Lodge in Windsor, with 46resident cases and 26staff cases.
• Sun Parlor Home in Leamington with tworesident cases and 12staff cases.
• Banwell Gardens Care Centre in Windsor, with 115resident cases and 62staff cases.
• The Shoreview at Riverside in Windsor, with 29resident cases and 14staff cases.
• Extendicare Tecumseh, with 90 resident cases and 57staff cases.
• Berkshire Care Centre in Windsor, with 98 resident and 61staff cases.
• The Village at St. Clair in Windsor, with 163resident cases and 132staff cases.
• Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh, with 60resident cases and 30staff cases.

Chatham-Kent, Sarnia

Sarnia-Lambton saw an increase of 45 new cases of the virus Thursday, for a cumulative total of 1,730.

Chatham-Kent, where cases are trending downward, saw sevennew cases, bringing its total to 1,046.