Health Unit Reports Increased COVID Burden in Windsor-Essex

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Daily COVID-19 case counts in Windsor-Essex are on the rise again, the health unit reports.

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After several days with infection numbers on the rise, Acting Medical Health Officer Dr. Shanker Nesathurai said Monday that evidence suggests that the burden of COVID-19 in the community has recently increased.

“There are many different possibilities to explain the increase,” he said. “Anytime there is more person-to-person interaction, especially at close distances, that can be a factor.”

As temperatures drop, he added, “more people are spending time indoors, and as they spend more time indoors, there is also the opportunity for increased transmission.”

The health unit reported an additional 31 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as well as 39 cases on Saturday and 45 on Sunday. The region has 292 active cases, including 15 hospitalized COVID patients.

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In addition to following public health guidelines like wearing masks, physical distancing, and frequent hand washing, Nesathurai said getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best way to prevent further transmission.

“If we increase vaccination rates, fewer people are likely to suffer the adverse consequences of COVID,” he said. “An individual who is vaccinated is less likely to become ill from COVID, less likely to be hospitalized for COVID, less likely to contract COVID, and less likely to expose another person.”

So far, 82.6 percent of Windsor-Essex residents ages 12 and older have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. An additional 3.7% have received only one dose.

9,492 eligible area residents have been given booster injections of the third dose.

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To date, 20,963 local residents have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants. While 20,205 of those cases are considered resolved, 466 people died as a result.

A new COVID-19 outbreak has been declared in Chartwell Royal Oak, a long-term care home in Kingsville. The number of residents and staff members involved remains under investigation, the health unit said.

Four schools have active shoots: Princess Elizabeth Public School, Vincent Massey Secondary School, Essex Public School, and École Élémentaire Catholique Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

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Windsor Regional Hospital continues to manage an outbreak in the fourth floor (4M) medical unit on the Ouellette campus.

Outbreak community settings include five congregation settings in Windsor, Essex and Leamington, a place of worship in Leamington, and two sports and recreation facilities in Windsor. There are workplace outbreaks in a construction environment in Leamington, a manufacturing business in Essex, two retail environments in Windsor and Leamington, and a professional, scientific and technical services environment in Windsor.

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Reference-windsorstar.com

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