The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has warned residents that, despite mask mandates being lifted, the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over.
That is indicated by the information in this week's epidemiological summary, presented Thursday morning. The health unit's epidemiology director, Ramsey D'Souza, said it was a case of good news, bad news.
"There's been an increase in our case rates and our positivity, but our ICU admissions and hospitalizations, in general, have been low or declining, while a stable trend in the number of deaths has been observed in recent weeks," said D'Souza.
The latest case rate per capita is 115.2 per 100,000 population, up 13.5 per cent from the previous week. The case positivity rate is up 2.6 percentage points to 16 per cent. As of Thursday morning, there were only three COVID-19 patients in Windsor-Essex intensive care units.
Nevertheless, the number of deaths, while stable, is still a concern for Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai.
"It's important to note that we're still having three to five deaths a week from COVID-19, and that's more deaths than we'd expect in any given weeks from car crashes, so the burden of disease is still significant in the Windsor-Essex health district," said Nesathurai.
The health unit reported one new death on Thursday, a man in his 80s.
The rate of triple vaccinations in the region is another stat the health unit would like to improve. Just over half of all Windsor-Essex residents 18 and older have received two doses of a vaccine, plus a booster shot. People aged 12 to 17 are still the lowest age group in that regard, with only 9.4 per cent of that group vaccinated and boosted.
The health unit is in the process of shifting its vaccination focus to pharmacies, doctors' offices, and free pop-up clinics. One clinic is on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the YMCA on Victoria Avenue in downtown Windsor. The first and second shots will be available as usual, along with boosters for those eligible. No appointment or health card is needed.
The health unit also reported 79 new high-risk cases in the community bringing the active number of cases up to 338.
Hospitalizations have increased since the removal of the mask mandate. Local hospitals are treating 34 patients who have tested positive for the virus. There are four COVID-19 positive patients in the intensive care unit.
