Windsor-Essex reports triple-digit COVID-19 case increase for 3rd day in a row

More than 100 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Friday as Windsor-Essex waits to hear whether the province will impose a lockdown on the region.

Theresa Marentette, CEO of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, said Friday there are now 620 active cases in the region after officials reported 111 additional cases. Officials previously said there were 104 new cases but issued a correction in a news release on Friday afternoon.

It's the third day in a row with a triple-digit increase, and the news came as Windsor Regional Hospital announced it will pause non-urgent surgeries that require an overnight stay due to a "potentially critical" shortage of beds.

Possible lockdown

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health for WECHU, has been warning that the region is at risk of a lockdown given the sharp rise in cases and the strain they are putting on the health-care system.

He wouldn't comment on whether a lockdown is imminent, saying the matter is now with the provincial government.

"I don't want to pre-empt something that is beyond my decision so we'll have to see what the cabinet and the premier decide," he said.

The province is expected to make an announcement Friday afternoon. Windsor-Essex entered the second-highest stage of restrictions, the red "control" zone, just less than two weeks ago. A lockdown would shut down non-essential retail, among other measures.

Ahmed said earlier this week that if the province doesn't announce a lockdown, he'd introduce new restrictions regardless.

Schools shutting down

On Thursday afternoon, the health unit announced that all 114 schools in the region will be closing Monday, with students transitioning to online learning. The order is place until Dec. 18 — when students go on holiday break — but could be extended.

Ahmed presented data on Friday showing school-aged children made up 3.9 per cent of COVID-19 cases prior to schools reopening, and 14.8 per cent after school started.

He defended the decision to close school facilities even though the majority of cases among students were acquired through household contacts.

"If your community is doing poorly, if your community case rates are high, you will see cases in the school. And then you will see all this disruption and at any time those cases can turn into an outbreak," he said.

Snapshot of the pandemic in Windsor-Essex

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 86 deaths due to COVID-19 in the region.

The 111 new cases announced Friday bring the region's cumulative case count to 4,453.

According to the health unit, 19 of the new cases are close contacts of previously confirmed cases and two were community acquired. While officials said Friday morning that 83 cases were under investigation, they later issued a correction saying the number is 90.

Thirty-seven people with COVID-19 are in hospital, with seven in the intensive care unit. Marentette said there are 73 more suspected COVID-19 cases in hospital.

There are 25 active outbreaks in Windsor-Essex — with one at a hospital, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, and two in community settings, Manor Lodge House and Victoria Manor Supportive Living in Windsor. An outbreak that was declared at Windsor Regional Hospital was rescinded Friday.

There are 11 workplace outbreaks:

• Three in Leamington's agriculture sector
• Two in Kingsville's agriculture sector
• One in Lakeshore's health care and social assistance sector
• One in Windsor's health care and social assistance sector
• One in Leamington's finance and insurance sector
• One in Windsor's manufacturing sector
• One in Kingsville's manufacturing sector
• One in Tecumseh's manufacturing sector

There are two schools with outbreaks, General Brock Public School and Corpus Christi Catholic Middle School - Central Park Athletics Campus, and cohorts have been dismissed at 25 schools.

There are eight COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes:

• The Village at St. Clair in Windsor with one staff case and four resident cases.
• Country Village in Woodslee with two staff cases and two resident case.
• Devonshire Retirement Residence in Windsor with one staff case.
• Chartwell St. Clair Beach in Tecumseh with 21 resident cases and one staff case.
• Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh with two staff cases and one resident case.
• Leamington Mennonite in Leamington with two staff cases.
• Chartwell Royal Oak Residence in Kingsville with two staff cases. 
• Riverside Place in Windsor with 17 resident cases and four staff cases.