COVID-19 second wave hits Sarnia, Chatham-Kent as case counts surge

For much of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a world of difference between Windsor-Essex and its closest neighbours, Lambton County and Chatham-Kent.

As Windsor and Essex County faced some of the worst COVID-19 rates in the province — along with dozens of deadly outbreaks throughout seniors' homes — the other regions, just a short drive away, were relatively unscathed by the pandemic.

But the picture has changed in recent weeks. Cases counts have risen sharply and there are a dozen outbreaks in each region, sparking widespread concern.

The escalation comes as both regions anxiously await the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine, and their hospitals take on additional patients to ease the burden on Windsor-Essex.

The rise of COVID-19 in Sarnia

Dr. Sudit Ranade, Lambton's medical officer of health, said he expected case counts to increase locally as they have in other regions.

"We're just experiencing what everyone else has, but with a bit of a delay," he said recently in an interview with CBC Radio's Afternoon Drive.

Up until four weeks ago, only about 500 Lambton County residents had tested positive for COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

In the last month, however, Lambton Public Health recorded roughly 1,000 new cases of COVID-19, along with two deaths.

As of last week, the health unit had the second-highest weekly COVID-19 case total per capita in the province, just behind Windsor and Essex, provincial data shows.

And it's not just new cases. Twelve coronavirus outbreaks are active, 10 of which are at seniors' homes.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said the surge has been disappointing.

"A number of these contacts that people had that brought about COVID weren't necessary," he said.

"We had meat raffles that took place, an office party — engagements that should not be happening."

Not too long ago, prior to the provincial shutdown, Sarnia was the only "green zone" in Ontario, meaning it was under the lowest tier of restrictions in the province's COVID-19 framework. 

Now, Bradley explained, the region is up there with the COVID-19 hotspots of Toronto and Peel in terms of case rates.

"It can happen quickly …," he said. "People let their guard down."

As of the most recent weekly data, ICUs in Lambton County were below capacity but 88 per cent full on average.

 Dr. Mike Haddad, the chief of staff for Bluewater Health, said recently on CBC Radio's Windsor Morning he's "quite concerned" about what the hospital could see in the coming weeks.

"The issue with COVID in the community is that as the incidence goes up, it takes about one to two weeks for patients to get sick enough to be admitted to the hospital," he said.

"So, we don't know what's going to happen in two weeks."

At the same time, Sarnia is currently supporting overwhelmed Windsor-Essex hospitals by accepting patient transfers from the region, something Haddad said they have capacity to do.

Chatham-Kent sees COVID case count soar

Though case counts remain much lower than other areas of Southwestern Ontario, Chatham-Kent is in the midst of its own COVID-19 surge.

Dr. David Colby, medical officer of health with Chatham-Kent Public Health, said the region is facing a "perfect storm" and things may get worse before they get better.

"We've had issues of not only a provincial trend that we have to buck, we have a major situation right next door to us in Windsor-Essex, and we have the influence of the holidays when ... many people did not take the public health advice seriously," he said during a media briefing on Thursday.

This time last month, the municipality had recorded 558 COVID-19 cases overall since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The total has risen by about 40 per cent in four weeks and there are now 953 cases overall, according to the health unit.

There are also dozen active outbreaks, including one at a long-term care home.

Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said he is concerned with the rise in numbers, as well as the impact the virus is having on businesses and residents' mental health.

"We need as a community to step up and follow what the protocols are happening. That's going to keep us safe," he said at the media availability Thursday.

Health leaders in the region published a letter last week pleading with residents to obey lockdown restrictions as the health-care system faces "extremely serious strain."

"The lives of every individual in our community are depending on you," the letter from the Chatham-Kent Ontario Health Team Steering Committee stated.

There are nine COVID-19 patients currently in hospital, two in the ICU — the highest total so far according to Lori Marshall, president of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. On Thursday, she announced the death of another resident due to COVID-19.

Awaiting the vaccine

Unlike Windsor-Essex, neither Chatham-Kent nor Lambton County has been given the green light to receive the vaccine and start distributing it to protect priority populations such as seniors' home residents.

Officials in both regions believe it's weeks away, however.

In Lambton, officials are in the process of planning a vaccine rollout based on receiving the shots during the week of Feb. 1 but they say there is no confirmation of when the vaccine will actually arrive.

Chatham-Kent's medical officer of health says his "best guess-timate" is that they may receive a supply of the shot before the end of the month.

"Our teams are ready to go as soon as the vaccine arrives," Colby said.