Windsor-Essex sees lowest daily increase in COVID-19 cases since early August

Public health in Windsor-Essex reported Tuesday the lowest daily increase in COVID-19 cases seen in months.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit said there were 10 new cases. That's the fewest cases reported since Aug. 2, before the fourth wave of COVID-19 hit,  when there were five cases.

Overall, there are 178 active cases as of Tuesday, and nine people are in hospital.

Dr. Wassim Saad, the chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital, said that the rate of vaccination and compliance with other public health measures has meant that COVID-19 has stayed at manageable levels in the pandemic's fourth wave.

"We've been able to manage it because we have not ... overwhelmed our hospital capacity and our ICU capacity," he said on CBC Radio's Windsor Morning on Tuesday.

"But there's no question that the vast majority of cases during this fourth wave have been in unvaccinated people."

Currently there are four patients in ICU, all of whom were unvaccinated, Saad said.

"And that's been the trend for the last six weeks or so," he said.

Meanwhile, the number of outbreaks in the region has fallen to seven.

They include one school outbreak, at Princess Elizabeth Public School, while the remainder are taking place in community settings and workplaces.

The remaining active outbreaks are as follows:

• Two in congregate settings.
• One in construction.
• One in fitness and recreation.
• One in a transportation setting.
• One in a correctional facility.

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton

Lambton Public Health is reporting nine new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, and 43 are active overall.

There was one new COVID-19 case in Chatham-Kent. In total, 49 cases are active.