Windsor-essex surpasses 5,000 total COVID-19 cases
The 113 new COVID-19 infections announced by the local health unit on Wednesday brought Windsor and Essex County over the 5,000case mark, something the region's top doctor didn't think would happen at the pandemic's onset.
“I could never even have imagined or guessed that it could be this high in our region,” Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said. “Especially in March, or in the summer when we were seeing single-digit cases in the region.”
It took Windsor-essex only 10 days to gain its most recent 1,000 cases; it took 25 days to climb from 3,000 to 4,000 cases.
“This is what exponential spread looks like, and we can expect more cases in the coming days,” he said.
Five cases reported by the Windsor-essex County Health Unit on Wednesday were close contacts of people who previously tested positive. Two cases were attributed to community spread and 27 were linked to outbreaks. There are 24 outbreaks throughout the region.
Transmission sources for the remaining 79 cases are under investigation by public health unit staff.
Windsor-essex has 890 active cases of COVID-19, with 57 positive cases in hospital and 11 of those in intensive care. Windsor hospitals have another 79 patients with suspected cases of COVID-19 who are still awaiting test results.
About 10 per cent of people who contract COVID-19 locally spend at least one day in hospital, Ahmed said. In two to three per cent of cases, people will die.
“It's unfortunate that (cases) really increased,” Ahmed said. “I believed maybe our good numbers for some time in September and October may have given a false sense of security.”
Two more long-term care and retirement homes have been added to the outbreak list, bringing the number of active outbreaks in such facilities up to nine. One resident and one staff member at Banwell Gardens Care Centre in Windsor have confirmed cases, as have one resident and two staff at The Shoreview at Riverside in Windsor.
Other facilities with outbreaks include: Country Village in Woodslee; La Chaumiere Retirement in Lakeshore; Berkshire Care Centre, the Village at St. Clair and the Village of Aspen Lake in Windsor; and Chartwell St. Clair Beach and Extendicare Tecumseh.
The health unit continues to monitor outbreaks at two schools — a new outbreak at L. A. Desmarais Catholic elementary, and one at General Brock elementary.
Three community outbreaks are active at Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario, Manor Lodge House and Victoria Manor.
WECHU is managing outbreaks at three farms in Essex County. Five other workplaces have active outbreaks: a health care and social assistance business in Lakeshore, a finance and insurance business in Leamington and three manufacturing facilities in Windsor, Kingsville, and Tecumseh.