Half of adults in Windsor-Essex are fully vaccinated

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) says just over half of adults in the southwestern region are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of data released Monday,50.3 per cent of adults received both required shots, slightly higher than the provincial total of 46.3 per cent.

So far, nearly half a milliondoses 451,898 have been administered to Windsor-Essex residents since the rollout began in late December. Just underthree-quarters of adults have received at least one dose. Across the province, the total stands at 78.3 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Windsor-Essexpublic health unit reported23 new COVID-19 cases from Saturday onward.

The three-day total includes 11 cases from Saturday, five from Sunday and seven for Monday

The overall local case total, which stands at16,843, only rose by 11, however,as the health unit removed several entries due to a clean-up of previous case data.

As of Monday, there are 45 known cases of COVID-19 active in Windsor-Essex, and a dozenpatients are in hospital.

There are also still two outbreaks one at the Downtown Mission shelter and another at a manufacturing workplace in Lakeshore.

Youth eligible for 2nd dose

On Saturday, WECHUannounced that anyone 12 to 17who had afirst dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is eligible to receive a secondafter 28 days or more. Previously, youth were only eligible to complete vaccinationafter two months.

Local eligibility was extended ahead of the rest of the province. Residents ofregionsthat use the provincial vaccination booking system wereallowed to book as of Monday.

Full details on COVID-19 vaccination and eligibility are available atWEvax.ca.

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton

Chatham-Kent reported one new casesince Friday. Just seven cases are active in the municipality.

Lambton Public Health reported four new cases on Monday, and 17 active overall.