Vaccine eligibility in Windsor-Essex lowered to 30 ahead of provincial schedule

Windsor-Essex residents who are 30 and older, as well the second group of essential workers, are eligible to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments, public health officials have announced.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) said that those newly eligible, which include a wide range of front-line professions such as essential retail and manufacturing workers, can book on the health unit's website or by phone.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health, said WECHU expanded eligibility after looking at factors such as the supply of vaccines, coverage rates across age groups and the available delivery mechanisms for the vaccine, which include clinics and pharmacies.

"Our goal is to vaccinate each and every one of our residents who want to get vaccinated as soon as possible, so every opportunity we get, we try to open up more and more eligibility criteria to increase access," he said at the health unit's daily briefing on Wednesday.

The expansion of appointments to those born in 1991 or earlier in Windsor-Essex is happening ahead of the provincial plan. Under that plan, the target for vaccine access those in that age group is the week of May 17.

For health units that use the provincial booking system, people who have occupations within the Group 2 list of essential workers were eligible to book on Tuesday.

The public health unit also announced that all adults are eligible to join the daily waitlist for appointments. People can register online for a chance to fill any last-minute appointment slots.

The full list of populations currently eligible for vaccination is available on the health unit's website and WEvax.ca.

The health unit reported 46 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, and overall 330 infections are active throughout the region.

As of Wednesday, 54.4 per cent of adults in Windsor-Essex, or 185,277 people, have gotten one dose or more of a COVID-19 vaccine.

There are 19 people in hospital, including three in intensive-care units.

Of the new cases announced Wednesday, 19 are close contacts of previously confirmed cases, nine were community acquired, two cases are related to outbreaks and the remainder are under investigation.

The number of active outbreaks has fallen from seven to five.

Aside from one outbreak at Southwest Detention Centre, all of the active outbreaks are taking place at workplaces:

• One in Windsor's health-care and social assistance sector. 
• One in Windsor's manufacturing sector.
• Two in retail settings in Windsor.

COVID-19 in Sarnia-Lambton, Chatham-Kent

In Sarnia-Lambton, the public health unit reported 14 new cases, for a total of 78 cases active.

Chatham-Kent Public Health reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. Overall, 35 cases are active.