Windsor-Essex to receive up to 13,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses weekly by end of March: health unit
Medical officer of health says region is among those leading the province on vaccine rollout
The supply of COVID-19 vaccines in Windsor-Essex is expected to grow dramatically this month, according to the region's medical officer of health.
Dr. Wajid Ahmed said he's expecting to see deliveries ramp up from close to 4,000 doses weekly to 12,000 or 13,000 weekly.
"So that would triple the supply for our vaccine, and that's why we wanted to make sure we have all these delivery channels up and running for our community," Ahmed said during the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit briefing on Monday.
The second of two vaccine clinics for adults who are 80 and older opened up on Monday in Leamington. About 160 vaccines will be administered per day at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre, Ahmed said.
Between the newest clinic, and the one set up for the 80-plus population last week at the WFCU Centre and the vaccination site at St. Clair Sportsplex, Ahmed expects that about 1,000 doses will be administered locally per day.
As well, Windsor-Essex is one of three areas of the province that will be participating in a pilot project that will see vaccines available in some pharmacies.
The health unit is also working on mobile clinics that will be set up to reach priority populations in some neighbourhoods.
Leading the province
Windsor-Essex's vaccine rollout is already ahead of many other areas of the province, Ahmed said, with 4.74 per cent of residents receiving one dose of the vaccine so far.
"This is the highest in the province," Ahmed said.
The portion of residents that have received both doses is almost 2.73 per cent, he said.
According to WECHU, a total of 31,783 vaccine doses have been administered so far, and 11,615 people have received both required doses.
The province recently announced updates on its vaccine plan, with a target to immunize all adults 60 and older by early June — sooner than initially expected.
In Windsor-Essex, vaccinations are ongoing for high risk health-care workers, adults over 80, adult recipients of chronic home care and Indigenous people. Vaccinations for those living and working in seniors' homes, as well as for first responders and the highest risk health-care workers, are complete.
Ahmed outlined the next priorities for vaccination in a presentation on Monday. They include adults 75 and older and more health-care workers.
51 new cases
The health unit reported 51 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, and overall 262 cases are active.
Of those new cases, 10 are close contacts of confirmed cases, three cases were community acquired, 17 cases are under investigation and 21 are related to outbreaks.
Ahmed could not immediately say which outbreaks the new cases were connected with.
There are 38 people in hospital in the region, with 11 in the intensive care unit.
There are 13 ongoing outbreaks.
They include one at Windsor Regional Hospital, one at Victoria Manor, and two at shelters serving people experiencing homelessness, the Downtown Mission and Salvation Army.
The health unit said COVID-19 variants of concern have been preliminarily found within outbreaks at Victoria Manor and the Downtown Mission.
Five workplaces have active outbreaks including one in Kingsville's construction sector, two in Windsor's healthcare and social assistance sector, one in Windsor's manufacturing sector and one in Windsor's repair and maintenance sector.
There are also two active outbreaks at long-term care and retirement facilities:
- Devonshire Retirement Residence in Windsor, with one staff case.
- Dolce Vita in Windsor, with three resident cases.
And there are two school outbreaks — one in Bellewood Public School and one in Monseigneur Jean Noel.
COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton
Chatham-Kent Public Health has 25 active COVID-19 cases Monday, with two institutional outbreaks that are both at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
In a news release Monday, the hospital declared two COVID-19 outbreaks, with one on its Dialysis Unit and another on its Laboratory Services.
One staff member and one patient have tested positive in the Dialysis Unit.
Meanwhile, the hospital says that two staff members tested positive in Laboratory Services. A patient is also positive after being exposed to one of the COVID-19 positive staff members. The patient was on the inpatient Surgical Unit.
Due to the outbreaks, the hospital says it has restricted visitors and care partners to the in-patient Surgical Unit until further notice. Visitors and care partners to that unit will be allowed only through the psoted exceptions or through the appeals process.
In Sarnia-Lambton, there are 155 active COVID-19 cases and six outbreaks Monday.
