CBC Windsor May 12 COVID-19 update: 2 more people have died

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reported two more people have died due to COVID-19 in our area. 

One woman in her 90s and another woman in her 80s passed away Monday. Both women were residents of long-term care homes. 

There are now 732 cases reported cases in the Windsor-Essex region, an increase of six cases from Monday. 

In total, 61 people have died in our area and 47 of those individuals were residents of long-term care and retirement homes. Of all the confirmed cases in the area, 39 per cent are in residents and staff at these facilities. 

There are now outbreaks at 15 long-term care and retirement facilities, as mass testing continues to be conducted at the facilities. 

The number of pending tests for the area also spiked, as a mass-testing for those facilities continues in the region. 

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health, said testing at the homes should be completed this week and those results could mean an influx of new cases and new facilities being listed under outbreak. 

"I do anticipate there will be more facilities ... that will be in outbreak," said Ahmed. 

Ahmed believes the virus is entering the facilities through workers, because no one else is permitted entrance inside. 

Increased testing for Indigenous peoples

Elayne Isaacs, integrated care manager at the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre, said her group is expanding testing and services to the Indigenous community at large. 

The health care centres have been working closely with Indigenous communities to offer "individualized responses" for battling the virus. 

"We want First Nations, Métis and Inuit people to know they have options when it comes to access to testing," said Isaacs, adding people do not need to be a client to be tested by the group. 

"We recognize the need for specific Indigenous responses" to health care needs, said Isaacs. 

WATCH| The health unit's COVID-19 update for May 12:

Ahmed said Indigenous communities are set as a priority for testing. 

"We want to remove all barriers for people to access testing and get the support they need in the way they want it," he said. 

Isaacs explained the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre conducts standard screening over the phone and people can call in Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and they will do a standard screening before scheduling an appointment if necessary. 

Typically, the centre serves close to 700 individuals and is expanding, said Isaacs, but there are more than 8,000 Indigenous peoples in Windsor-Essex according to the census. Though Isaacs said that number is much larger. 

Leamington man survived paralysis and 6 weeks in hospital with COVID-19

Victor Winter says he remembers dreams of drowning underwater, but not much else from the time before and after he was diagnosed with COVID-19. 

The 66-year-old Leamington resident — a former educator and pastor — said he first began to feel symptoms of what would eventually be diagnosed as COVID-19 on March 13. 

At the time, he simply thought he had developed a flu, as Windsor-Essex had yet to confirm even its first patient with coronavirus. 

His recovery journey lasted approximately six weeks, beginning on March 13 and ending on April 29

He started by walking into the ambulance that took him to hospital, but has no memory of that. 

After exhibiting almost no symptoms during the onset of the disease, Winter was later intubated, experienced heart failure, and was placed on a paralytic, as doctors hoped his body would focus on repairing his lungs.

After roughly four weeks in hospital, Winter was soon able to wake up.

COVID-19 in Sarnia-Lambton

Lambton Public Health reported there are 203 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in that region. 

Overall, 17 people have died and 145 people have recovered from the disease. 

Long-term care home Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia is currently under an outbreak. There are eight cases among residents and two cases in staff members. Three residents there have died. 

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent

Chatham-Kent Pubic Health reported 90 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the municipality, with more than half of them connected to a single workplace.

The recent uptick was due to an outbreak at Greenhill Produce greenhouse near Kent Bridge. Fifty-two workers there have tested positive for the disease. 

In Chatham-Kent, one person has died due to COVID-19 and 83 people have recovered.