46 new COVID-19 cases; testing hours expanded
The local health unit on Thursday reported 46 new cases of residents in Windsor-essex testing positive for COVID-19, with 31 of those coming from workers in the agrifood sector.
Seven of the new cases were among close contacts of people who previously had tested positive, making them likely to contract the virus, local medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said. Eight new cases are still under investigation by the Windsor-essex County Health Unit.
“Now more and more people are outside, more and more businesses are open. There’s more opportunity for people to interact with each other,” Ahmed said during the health unit’s daily briefing.
“There are more opportunities for people to go to these establishments and maybe congregate in groups. It is absolutely important that we continue to use all the public health measures in place, including physical distancing — that’s the most important measure we need to recognize.”
Those who are sick need to stay home, he said, and individuals should continue to wash their hands regularly with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. Cough and sneeze into a sleeve or tissue, and wear a mask or face covering in businesses and where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
“All of these measures combined will definitely help in keeping our community safe,” Ahmed said. “We will be closely monitoring and linking these cases to ensure we are not seeing something that is unusual. If there is any opportunity for us to contain ... through health promotional messaging, we will continue to do that.”
Windsor Regional Hospital on Thursday announced it would once again expand the weekday hours of operation at its COVID -19 assessment centre following a record 329 visitors on Wednesday.
Starting Saturday, the Ouellette campus testing centre will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hours on Saturdays and Sundays are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A statement from the hospital said weekday testing volumes have been above 260 people per day since June 26, with the exception of Canada Day, when 183 attended the assessment centre. In total, 14,256 individuals have gone to the assessment centre for testing since it opened on March 16.
“We are aware that recent volumes have increased based largely on the need for testing before surgeries, as well as by individuals who require a test before visiting loved ones at local long-term care and retirement homes,” the hospital’s statement said.
Individuals needing a COVID -19 test as a preoperative requirement will be notified directly of when to go to the assessment centre for testing, the hospital said.
Shelter from the sun is in place at the waiting area outside the assessment centre, and water is handed out to those waiting as needed based on extremely high temperatures and humidity.
In total, 1,771 individuals in Windsor-essex have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic emergency was declared in March. Of those, 1,114 people have recovered, 518 are self-isolating, and 68 have died. The status of 42 positive cases remains under investigation. Two people with COVID-19 are in hospital.
The novel coronavirus outbreaks at long-term care home Extendicare Tecumseh, where one resident had tested positive roughly two weeks ago, was rescinded on Thursday. The health unit said it continues to monitor outbreaks at Riverside Place and Devonshire Retirement Residence. Between the two locations, four staff members recently tested positive for COVID-19.
Five additional workplaces are experiencing outbreaks. One is a manufacturing facility in Leamington, and four are agricultural workplaces — one in Leamington and three in Kingsville. The health unit did not name those businesses.