Windsor-essex ahead of other regions on vaccinations, says health unit
Months of work remain on the COVID-19 vaccination front in Windsor-essex — but progress has been good so far, according to the local health unit.
“Windsor-essex is way ahead of many regions in rolling out the vaccine on a per-capita basis,” Dr. Wajid Ahmed, the region's medical officer of health, said Monday.
According to Ahmed, 4.74 per cent of the Windsor-essex population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine — among the highest per capita rates in the province.
To date, 11,615 people in Windsor-essex have received their required two doses of the vaccine — about 2.73 per cent of the regional population.
If all goes to plan, Ahmed believes Windsor-essex will be receiving 12,000 to 13,000 doses of COVID -19 vaccine per week by the end of the month.
On Monday, the region's second targeted COVID-19 vaccination clinic for those 80 years of age or older opened at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre in Leamington.
Ahmed said he expects that clinic to administer around 160 vaccine doses daily this week — along with the estimated 330 doses being administered daily to the same age group at the region's first targeted COVID-19 vaccination clinic, in east Windsor's WFCU Centre, which opened March 1.
COVID -19 vaccinations continue at the St. Clair College hospital hub at a rate of about 600 per day, focusing on high-priority health-care workers, medical first responders (EMS, firefighters, and police officers), adults receiving chronic home care, and Indigenous people.
Ahmed believes a large increase in the region's vaccination numbers is coming soon when select local pharmacies begin receiving and administering doses of the Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
“You will see a lot more vaccine coming to our region,” Ahmed said.
Details on how to access the Astrazeneca vaccine at Windsor-essex pharmacies are still being determined, and are expected to be released this week.
Ahmed said the provincial government and the Ontario Pharmacists Association are responsible for the plan. Registration for vaccination at pharmacies will not be done through the health unit.
Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, said a new provincial government website will be launching in the next few days for that specific purpose.
Windsor-essex is one of three regions in Ontario selected for the pilot project to provide COVID -19 vaccinations at pharmacies.
Bates said a total of 330 pharmacies are participating in the pilot project. A detailed list will be forthcoming.
The first stage of the pharmacy vaccinations is meant for individuals ages 60 to 64. The Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine is not recommended for those 65 years of age or older.
But all the good news in the first phase of the vaccination rollout doesn't mean the risk of contracting COVID-19 in Windsor-essex has diminished.
The health unit is now providing public updates on the presence of “variants of concern” in the region.
A new chart on the health unit's website showed Monday that 27 cases in Windsor-essex have been found to involve a “variant of concern” of SARS-COV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).
An additional case has been confirmed to involve the variant first identified in the United Kingdom, believed to be 70 per cent more contagious than the original strain.
Ahmed said the activity related to the “variants of concern” has come up in Windsor-essex in the past seven to 10 days. “There are a lot of things happening on that spread front, and we want to make sure that we are putting out this information as transparently as possible.”
The health unit reported an increase of 51 COVID-19 cases in Windsor-essex on Monday — following increases of 31 cases on Saturday and 23 cases on Sunday.
According to the health unit, 21 of the newest cases are related to outbreak situations.
The health unit is currently monitoring 13 outbreaks: five at workplaces, two in long-term care or retirement homes, two at schools, one at a hospital location, and three in the community.
The community outbreaks involve the Downtown Mission, the Salvation Army, and Victoria Manor.
As of Monday, there were 262 active COVID-19 cases in Windsor-essex, with 38 requiring hospitalization and 11 under intensive care.
To date, there have been 13,200 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Windsor-essex.
The region's COVID-19 death count is currently 393, with the most recent death reported on Saturday: A man in his 70s who lived in the community.
Residents of Windsor-essex ages 80 and older are asked to pre-register for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment via the health unit's website, wechu.org.
Last weekend, the health unit added a location to its list of potential public exposure spots: the Starbucks at 6638 Tecumseh Rd. E.
Those who attended the business on Feb. 28 from 1 to 7:30 p.m. or on March 1 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. are asked to monitor themselves for symptoms.
Locations are removed from the list after 14 days from the last exposure date.