FARM SAFETY PLAN
Ontario Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman, right, speaks with Paul Mastronardi, CEO of Mastronardi Produce Ltd./sunset, on Monday, after the announcement of a new strategy to better protect farms and farm workers from COVID-19.
The number of Windsor-essex residents in hospital with COVID-19 shot up to nine on Monday while cases climbed by double digits for the sixth straight day.
Two of the hospitalized individuals are in intensive care, reported medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed during the Windsor-essex County Health Unit's virtual news conference.
On Saturday and Sunday, only four residents with COVID-19 were in hospital. On Friday, that number was even lower at one hospitalized case.
“It's a reality that when you have community cases going up, you are bound to see cases in the hospitals ... and in the ICU,” Ahmed said. “And, unfortunately, you are bound to see some deaths associated with that, as well.”
“If you are focused on just these ... later indicators, you cannot do any proactive work,” he said. “It's definitely a concern from a healthcare capacity perspective.”
Hospitals need to have the capacity to save the lives of people with COVID-19, he said, but also to deal with other emergent needs.
While the local acute care system is not overwhelmed “yet,” he said, “it can be a very dangerous situation” and “we definitely don't want to go there.” Keeping the number of cases in the community low by following public health guidance would prevent a further surge in hospitals.
The health unit reported 11 new cases of COVID-19, the region's lowest single-day increase since Nov. 11. Four of the cases are farm workers, one is a person who contracted the virus in the U.S., one is a local health-care worker, and the origins of five cases are still under investigation.
Windsor-essex officially entered the yellow (protect) risk category one minute after midnight on Monday. Under that section of the province's COVID-19 response framework, residents are restricted to an indoor gathering limit of 10 people and an outdoor limit of 25. That doesn't include organized public events and gatherings, like banquets and conferences, where indoors there can be 50 people and outdoors there can be 100. Religious services, weddings and funerals are reduced to 30 per cent capacity indoors or 100 people outdoors. The indoor and outdoor limits cannot be combined to allow for more people.
Mask mandates and physical distancing measures remain in effect.
Liquor can only be sold or served between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. All restaurants and bars must close at or before midnight.
Ahmed on Friday announced additional restrictions above and beyond the province's “yellow” category rules. They prohibit karaoke because singing projects droplets further than regular speech, spectators at sports and recreation facilities — except for one parent or guardian for anyone under the age of 18 — and the consumption of food or beverages by people walking through malls.
Although residents won't be charged by police or bylaw enforcement for having a few friends over, Ahmed's instructions say people should avoid going to other peoples' homes or hosting guests, and only come into close contact with members of their own households. People should work from home wherever possible.
Ahmed's instructions also require that grocery stores designate specific hours to serve seniors, and restrict the number of people allowed inside to allow for physical distancing.
No personal care services that require the removal of a face mask, like a barber who shaves facial hair, are allowed under the enhanced restrictions. Locker-rooms, change rooms and showers must close, and so must whirlpools, baths, floating pools and sensory depravation pods unless prescribed by a health professional for a therapeutic purpose.
An outbreak of COVID-19 is active at one workplace, an agricultural farm in Leamington where at least 52 workers have tested positive since Nov. 11.
Over the weekend, the WECHU reported 42 cases. Of those, 16 were farm workers, five were close contacts of confirmed cases, and two were long-term care home residents. Two were attributed to community spread, two were local health-care workers and one travelled to Michigan.
Four long-term care and retirement homes are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
The health unit continues to monitor an outbreak at a University of Windsor residence. Eighteen students were made to self-isolate after an unauthorized Halloween party. Five infections have been linked to the party.
Though 76 people have previously died from the virus in Windsor and Essex County, no additional local deaths were reported Monday. There are 202 active local cases.