COVID-19 appears to be stabilizing in Windsor-Essex, health unit says

The Windsor-Essex region's top public health official is expressing some tentative optimism about the latest COVID-19 statistics on Friday, as the region's case total grew by 171.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), said in his weekly epidemiological update there has been a slight decline in case rates and per cent positivity.

For the week ending on Jan. 9, the portion of tests that came back positive was 11.4 per cent, down from 12.3.

"It's just a single-week decrease that we've seen in both these indicators, so it's a good sign but I think overall we have to recognize that we still have a long way to go," he said.

A decline was also seen in the presence of the virus in wastewater, which has a correlation to the rate of infection in the community, he said.

But Ahmed stressed that though the situation appears to be stabilizing, the numbers remain far worse than many parts of the province. Windsor-Essex still has the second-highest case rate in the province.

Deaths continue to rise, with the health unit announcing Friday seven more people have died. Five of those who recently lost their lives to COVID-19 were residents of long-term care facilities.

Of the 171 new cases announced Friday, the majority, 142, remain under investigation. Fourteen cases are outbreak related, 10 are close contacts of confirmed cases, four were community acquired and one is related to travel outside North America.

The number of hospitalizations continues to surge, with 121 COVID-19 patients currently in hospital including 19 in ICU. There are a further 183 people in hospital who are suspected of having COVID-19.

New COVID-19 deaths in Lambton County, Chatham-Kent

Chatham-Kent and Lambton County are also reporting additional deaths Friday.

Chatham-Kent announced the death of a fourth resident due to COVID-19, along with 18 new cases of the virus.

Meanwhile. the health unit in Sarnia-Lambton reported two new deaths in the region, as well as a case increase of 26.

45 COVID-19 outbreaks in Windsor-Essex

Since the pandemic began, there have been 10,665 COVID-19 cases recorded in Windsor-Essex and 248 deaths, according to WECHU.

There are 45 ongoing outbreaks.

Three are active at Windsor Regional Hospital, two on the Ouellette campus and one declared Thursday on a unit of the Met Campus.

One community setting, Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario, has been in outbreak since Jan. 3.

Outbreaks are active at 21 workplaces:

• Four in Leamington's agricultural sector.
• Four in Kingsville's agricultural sector.
• Four in Windsor's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Leamington's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Lakeshore's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Windsor's food and beverage service sector.
• One in Windsor's manufacturing sector.
• One in a personal service setting in LaSalle.
• Three in public administration settings in Windsor.
• One in a retail setting in Essex.

There are 20 active outbreaks at long-term care and retirement facilities:

• Regency Park in Windsor with two resident cases.
• Richmond Terrace in Amherstburg with two staff cases.
• Chartwell Royal Marquis, with one resident case and one staff case.
• Harrow Woods Retirement Home, with five resident cases and one staff case.
• Seasons Retirement Home in Amherstburg, with three staff cases.
• Devonshire Retirement Residence in Windsor, with 30 resident cases and three staff cases.
• Chartwell Royal Oak in Kingsville, with two staff cases.
• Rosewood Erie Glen in Leamington, with 30 resident cases and three staff cases.
• Chateau Park in Windsor with four staff cases.
• Leamington Mennonite Home with seven staff cases. 
• Augustine Villas in Kingsville, with 51 resident and 12 staff cases. 
• Sunrise Assisted Living of Windsor, with 11 resident cases and eight staff cases. 
• Huron Lodge in Windsor, with 43 resident cases and 26 staff cases. 
• Sun Parlor Home in Leamington, one resident case and nine staff cases.
• Banwell Gardens Care Centre in Windsor, with 115 resident cases and 52 staff cases.
• The Shoreview at Riverside in Windsor, with 26 resident cases and 10 staff cases.
• Extendicare Tecumseh, with 83 resident cases and 57 staff cases.
• Berkshire Care Centre in Windsor, with 94 resident and 60 staff cases.
• The Village at St. Clair in Windsor, with 150 resident cases and 118 staff cases.
• Country Village in Woodslee, with three resident and three staff cases.
• Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh, with 53 resident cases and 25 staff cases.