The COVID-19 case rate in Windsor Essex is still trending down, but the region will stay in the red zone this week.
The case rate over the last seven days is 38.1 per 100,000 residents.
"Right now our case rates are low, we need to make sure we continue to do the good job that we are doing right now in keeping the case rates down," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed.
He indicated he has had no discussions with the province on changing the region's status on the province's COVID-19 Response Framework.
"Generally, we always like to see a trend for two weeks, because that's the incubation period, the 14 days that we talk about. And, when we are seeing the trend for 14 days, it gives us a little more comfort that these numbers are not just a one-time number," said Dr. Ahmed.
The government moved to regions on the scale today, Hamilton moved into the Grey-lockdown level and the Eastern Ontario Health Unit moved into the red.
Far fewer people are being tested for COVID-19 locally, which is driving up the positivity rate. Less than 5,500 people were tested last week, and 3.6 per cent of those came back positive.
On Friday, the health unit reported 16 new cases of COVID-19. Of those, ten are close contacts of previously confirmed cases, one is community-acquired, and five are still being investigated.
To date, 55 cases have been identified as variants of concern.
There are 226 active cases in the community.
Local hospitals are treating 17 people with COVID-19, and six of those are in the intensive care unit.
