Nearly half of adults in Windsor-Essex have received COVID-19 shot

Close to 49 per cent of all adults in Windsor-Essex have been vaccinated againstCOVID-19, the region's medical officer of health said Friday.

Out of the population as a whole,38.7 per cent or 169,554 people have hadone or more doses, Dr. Wajid Ahmed said at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's daily briefing.

The figurescome amid an expansionof vaccine eligibility in the region and across Ontario.

Over the last week, the minimum age to get a shot ata mass vaccination site was lowered to 50 in Windsor-Essex, and a group of front-line essential workers became eligible, as didall adults in the seven hot-spotpostal codes.

Despite increasing vaccination rates declining case numbers, Ahmed warns not to let yourguard down.

With Mother's Day on Sunday, he saidfamilies should connect virtually if they don't live in the same household.

"You have to be really careful in not putting anyone at risk. We know that some of these variants of concern can spread very quickly and the vaccine may not be completely protective in those variant situations."

Case rates declining

Ahmed's weekly epidemiological report, presented on Friday, showed thethe region's sharp uptickin variants of concern has slowed, and COVID-19 cases have beendeclining overall.

The weekly case rate per 100,000 people was 66.4for the last seven days, compared with82.9 for the previous one-week period.

The portion of positive COVID-19 tests has fallen from 6.2 to 5.8 for the most recent seven days.

Windsor-Essex is seeing a downward trend, Ahmed said,but cases continue to be "significantly high."

Also Friday, the public health unit also announced 39 newcases of COVID-19:

• 13 close contacts of confirmed cases.
• Eight community acquired.
• One related to travel.
• 17 under investigation.

Eight outbreaks are ongoing all but one in employment settings.

There are seven workplace outbreaks, including:

• One in Leamington's agriculture sector.
• One in Tecumseh's construction sector.
• One in Lakeshore's food and beverage sector.
• One in Windsor's food and beverage sector.
• Two in Windsor's health-care and social assistance sector.
• One in a retail setting in Windsor.

The eighth outbreak, which has been active since April 23, is atSouthwest Detention Centre.

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton

Lambton Public Health on Friday announced 14 new COVID-19 cases. There were 89COVID-19 active cases overall in Sarnia-Lambton, with threeongoing outbreaks.

Chatham-Kent public health reported 32active cases, withsixnew cases.One outbreak, at a workplace, remainedactive.