The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reported another five deaths due to COVID-19 Tuesday morning.
There have been 13 deaths across the region, 10 of which were residents in long-term care homes. The most recent deaths were three women in their 90s, one woman in her 80s, and one woman in her 70s.
There are currently outbreaks in seven long-term care and retirement homes in Windsor-Essex.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed also announced another 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19 for a total of 349. Another 365 people are still waiting for the results of their tests. This is a sharp increase compared to numbers coming in over the weekend. Dr. Ahmed said this is due in large part to a delay in results as well as an increase in testing at long-term care and retirement homes.
In accordance with orders from the Ministry of Health, the health unit has increased testing at long-term care and retirement homes currently experiencing outbreaks. Any resident or staff member who has had any contact with a positive case is currently being tested for the virus.
"The good thing is even when we are looking at the breakdown of where these cases are coming from, are they coming from the community or these long-term care homes, most of these cases now are coming from long-term care homes. Which is another issue, we are working with them and that is the high-risk population. But from a community level yes we are seeing more cases," said Ahmed.
Over the weekend local EMS staff attended the nursing homes to help administer the additional tests to help relieve some of the additional pressure on staff at the long-term care homes.
-With files from Maureen Revait
