Windsor-Essex surpasses 400 COVID-19 deaths

A year into the pandemic, more than 400 people have now died from COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) announced Tuesday the recent deaths of three more residents — two men in their 70s and one woman in her 80s, all living in the community.

There have been 401 deaths of local residents throughout the pandemic.

Target to get all 80+ vaccinated

The grim milestone comes as vaccination efforts — aimed at protecting those most vulnerable to the virus — are continuing to ramp up. 

Theresa Marentette, CEO and chief nursing officer of WECHU, said at the health unit's daily briefing Tuesday that staff are on track to have seniors over 80 vaccinated by the end of the month.

So far, 4,432 people in that population have received their first dose. Two clinics opened up this month for seniors living in the community, one in Leamington and one in Windsor.

Over 15,600 people have pre-registered, but two more vaccination sites are expected to open up in Windsor next week.

"Next week we'll have four options for our seniors to get vaccinated and we believe we're on track to get everyone completed by the end of the month," Marentette said.

There are 281 active cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex, including 32 new ones reported on Tuesday.

Of those, one is outbreak-related, eight are close contacts of confirmed cases, eight cases were community acquired and 15 are under investigation.

Thirty-one people are in hospital with COVID-19.

A new outbreak was declared at the Salvation Army, just days after an outbreak at the shelter was cleared. There are three other community settings in outbreak: Victoria Manor, the Downtown Mission and South West Detention Centre.

There are six active cases involving inmates at the institution, according to the provincial government. The health unit is working closely with the institution, Marentette said.

"They are well-versed and in a good position ... to deal with any issues they have in their cases," Marentette said. "And we work closely with them to support them and make sure they have the right information and can manage whatever they're dealing with."

There are now more than 100 cases associated with the Mission outbreak, Marentette said. The Mission, which has been ordered to keep its locations closed, is working with the health unit on a plan for reopening with COVID-19 protocols in place.

"We have reviewed their plan and have provided feedback, and are hopeful that we can work with the leadership of the Mission to safely reopen in the coming weeks," she said.

Four workplaces have active outbreaks:

• One in Kingsville's construction sector
• One in Windsor's healthcare and social assistance sector
• One in Lakeshore's public administration sector
• One in Windsor's retail sector.

There are also two active outbreaks at long-term care and retirement facilities:

• Riverside Place in Windsor, with one staff case.
• Leamington Mennonite Home, with one staff case.

Three school outbreaks —  one in W.F. Herman Academy, one in Bellewood Public School and one in Monseigneur Jean Noel — have been cleared, according to the health unit's website, along with an outbreak at Windsor Regional Hospital.

COVID-19 in Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham-Kent

Lambton Public Health announced 22 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday but the number of active cases remained at 175.

In Chatham-Kent, 10 new cases of COVID-19 were announced, and there are 70 active cases