The COVID-19 death toll in Chatham-Kent has risen again following another death reported by the local public health unit on Wednesday.
Public health officials said a total of 86 local residents have now died from COVID-19 following the new death.
COVID-19 has claimed the lives of four residents since the beginning of August, according to the public health unit.
Chatham-Kent Public Health also reported three new COVID-19 outbreaks, including a large one at Riverview Gardens Long Term Care Facility in Chatham. That outbreak was declared on August 8, 2022 and has 43 cases.
The other two small outbreaks are at Serenity Living Retirement Home in Blenheim with six cases and an unidentified group home with two cases.
All of the latest COVID-19 numbers reported on Wednesday are from the week of August 7-13, 2022. During that week there were 115 new cases of COVID-19.
There are also two old COVID-19 outbreaks that remain active. The outbreak at Fairfield Park Long Term Care Facility in Wallaceburg has 25 cases while the outbreak in the Medicine B Unit at the Chatham hospital has 10 cases.
Public health officials remind the public that testing eligibility and health unit case management practices in Ontario are limited to high-risk individuals and those who live or work in high-risk congregate settings. They reiterate that reported case details have changed since the beginning of 2022 and the number of lab-confirmed cases is an "underestimate of the true burden" of COVID-19 infection in Chatham-Kent.