Windsor-Essex seniors' homes in outbreak to receive COVID-19 vaccine

With nearly half of all long-term care and retirement homes in Windsor facing outbreaks of COVID-19, health officials announced Tuesday that they will begin vaccinating people at facilities in outbreak.

The vaccine rollout was initially supposed to target homes not in outbreak first, but Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, said they carefully looked at the risks and benefits before deciding to change the parameters locally.

"We felt it's important to move forward," Ahmed said.

Five long-term care homes in the region have been vaccinated since the rollout began on New Year's Day, with another two homes expected to be completed on Tuesday.

The health unit recorded 174 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, along with three deaths -- a man in his 60s, a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s.

There are 21 outbreaks at long-term care and retirement facilities.

Since the start of the pandemic last March, 170 people in the region have died from COVID-19, 108 who were residents or staff at long-term care and retirement homes.

There have been 8,676 cases of COVID-19 recorded in the region.

Of the new cases announced Tuesday, 25 are related to outbreaks, while four are close contacts of confirmed cases, two are community acquired and 143 cases ares still being investigated.

There are 102 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the region, according to the health unit, 15 of whom are in intensive care. Another 154 suspected cases are hospitalized.

There are two school outbreaks, at St. Rose Catholic Elementary School and Georges P. Vanier elementary.

Two hospital outbreaks are also ongoing, at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital's Met campus.

Four community settings — Salvation Army Centre of Hope and Victoria Manor Supportive Living and two Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario locations — are also in active outbreak.

Outbreaks are active at 18 workplaces:

• Three in Leamington's agriculture sector.
• Five in Kingsville's agriculture sector.
• Two in Windsor's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Essex's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Lakeshore's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Tecumseh's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Leamington's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Tecumseh's manufacturing sector.
• One in Windsor's food and beverage service sector.
• One in a personal service setting in LaSalle.
• One in a public administration setting in Windsor

There are 21 COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes: 

• Seasons Retirement Home in Amherstburg with one staff case.
• Devonshire Retirement Residence in Windsor, with four resident cases.
• Iler Lodge in Essex, with one staff case.
• Chartwell Royal Oak in Kingsville, with one staff case.
• Rosewood Erie Glen in Leamington, with three resident cases.
• Chateau Park in Windsor with three staff cases.
• Leamington Mennonite Home in Leamington, with four staff cases. 
• Riverside Place in Windsor, with three staff cases. 
• Brouillette Manor in Tecumseh, with one staff case. 
• Augustine Villas in Kingsville, with 14 resident and five staff cases. 
• Sunrise Assisted Living of Windsor, with four resident cases and six staff cases. 
• Huron Lodge in Windsor, with 42 resident cases and 15 staff cases. 
• Chartwell Classic Oak Park in LaSalle, with one staff case.
• Sun Parlor Home in Leamington, with six staff cases.
• Banwell Gardens Care Centre in Windsor, with 55 resident cases and 31 staff cases.
• The Shoreview at Riverside in Windsor, with nine resident cases and seven staff cases.
• Extendicare Tecumseh, with 74 resident cases and 29 staff cases.
• Berkshire Care Centre in Windsor, with 86 resident and 51 staff cases.
• The Village at St. Clair in Windsor, with 136 resident cases and 104 staff cases.
• Chartwell St. Clair Beach in Tecumseh, with 53 resident cases and 12 staff cases.
• Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh, with 34 resident cases and 15 staff cases.