The Windsor Essex County Health Unit has tested more than 75 per cent of long-term care and retirement home residents in the region for COVID-19.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said he expects all residents will be tested before Premier Doug Ford's deadline of May 15.
Outbreaks have been declared at 11 facilities locally. An outbreak was declared at Chartwell Kingsville Wednesday after a resident tested positive during screening efforts by the health unit.
"We are getting all the data and trying to figure out what could have led to that case. That work is being done, sometimes it is very difficult to get the answer because we are unable to pinpoint exactly what happened but that is definitely an important one and we have been talking about it since we became aware of the case," said Ahmed.
Once testing is complete at long-term care facilities, the data will be used as a baseline for residents at the facility. All staff and residents are required to take their temperatures twice a day and symptoms are monitored closely.
To date, 9,379 people in Windsor-Essex have been tested for the virus, 674 people have tested positive, an increase of 9 cases from Wednesday. There are 1,193 tests pending.
