Windsor

Chatham-Kent could get put into red zone or lockdown, medical officer says

“We had a large number of cases yesterday and this will be noticed. I’m just holding my breath to see how this shakes down,” said Dr. David Colby said.

Municipality has 78 active cases, 3 outbreaks

Dr. David Colby, medical officer of health for Chatham-Kent, appears in a file photo. (CK Public Health/YouTube)

A recent uptick in new COVID-19 cases means Chatham-Kent will almost certainly see stronger restrictions, according to the municipality's medical officer of health.

Dr. David Colby said during a media availability on Thursday that the region could be moved to the red zone, or even to a lockdown.

The province, which makes the decisions on where a region stands within the colour-coded COVID-19 framework, usually announces updates on Fridays.

"We had a large number of cases yesterday and this will be noticed. I'm just holding my breath to see how this shakes down," Colby said.

Chatham-Kent has been in the orange zone since March 1.

The municipality has 78 active COVID-19 cases. Twenty-three were announced on Thursday, and there are three active outbreaks.

Colby said a recent rise in cases is being traced back to indoor gatherings. He also mentioned the improving weather and COVID-19 fatigue.

"Every case we see results from a breakdown in health precautions. Every single one means that there's been a breakdown somewhere," he said.

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