Hike in COVID-19 cases raises local concern over social gatherings

Large number of new infections result of close contact, region's top doctor says

The Windsor- Essex County Health Unit reported 45 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the region's highest single-day increase in infections since July.

Thirteen of the new cases are close contacts of people who previously tested positive, one is an agri-farm worker, and two are local health-care workers. Seven cases are attributed to community spread, four are related to travel outside of Canada, and 18 are still under investigation by public health unit staff.

During a summary of the recent week's pandemic trends and statistics, medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said a large number of new cases continues to be the result of transmission between close contacts. The second wave of COVID-19 cases is having a growing effect on the local acute care and public health systems, he said, urging social gatherings to stop.

“It is really important we limit our close contacts,” Ahmed said. “Ideally, restrict your close contacts only to your household members, or very few individuals … who need your social support.”

While travel-related cases remain comparatively low, that number is also growing and “concerning,” Ahmed said. Essential workers and others crossing the border need to “be mindful” and “vigilant” about what they are doing to avoid bringing the disease back home, he added.

Ahmed also reported that the incidence rate of COVID-19 infections for Windsor-essex has more than doubled in a week, going from 19 cases to 41 cases for every 100,000 people.

Although a COVID-19 outbreak is ongoing at an agri-farm operation in Leamington, farm cases comprise a much smaller portion of cases in the current second wave than they did during the first. At least 53 workers on that farm have tested positive since Nov. 11 — about 20 per cent of the 263 new infections reported in Windsor-essex over the same 11-day period.

The acute care system continues to experience strain. As of Nov. 17, Ahmed said, 92 per cent of acute care beds were occupied. Beds in local ICUS were at 79 per cent capacity, and 40 per cent of ventilator beds were occupied.

In the past week, COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared at two local elementary schools. The entire population of staff and students at F. W. Begley Public School was dismissed and told to self-isolate for 14 days after three staff members tested positive.

An outbreak at W. J. Langlois Catholic Elementary School was upgraded on Friday when additional members of the school community tested positive. The entire school has been dismissed and are being asked to join a cohort of roughly 20 individuals from one class already self-isolating at home.

On Thursday afternoon, the local health unit reported a cohort of 24 students from St. William Catholic Elementary School had been dismissed after receiving a notification of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at the school.

Tecumseh Vista elementary school reported one case on Thursday.

The health unit continues to monitor three long-term care and retirement homes where COVID-19 outbreaks are ongoing. At Iler Lodge in Essex, 17 residents and one staff member have tested positive since Oct. 30. At Berkshire Care Centre in Windsor, one staff member has contracted the disease since Nov. 7, while four staff and five residents at Windsor's Lifetimes on Riverside have tested positive since Oct. 29.

An outbreak at a University of Windsor residence declared on Nov. 12 will soon be rescinded, Ahmed reported. Five students tested positive after a Halloween party there, and 18 students were directed to self-isolate for two weeks.

To date, 3,120 local residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

No new deaths were reported Friday. To date, 77 people in Windsor and Essex County have lost their lives from complications brought on by COVID-19. Two were migrant farm workers from Mexico and 54 were residents of long-term care and retirement homes. The remaining 21 were members of the general community.