Windsor-Essex sees record 243 new cases of COVID-19

Windsor-Essex saw a record increase in new COVID-19 cases on Friday as the region grapples with 28separate outbreaks, including10 atlong-term care facilities.

Health officials reported 243 new cases Friday. There are also 1,014active cases in the region.

Cases have remained above 100 for eightout of the last 10daysand Friday marks the first time more than 200 new cases were recorded in a single day.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health for the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU),said consistently reporting triple-digit daily case countsis"unimaginable."

"We've been raising this alarmfor almost like more than two months now," he said. "We've been saying this would happen if people don't follow these recommendations and these guidelines."

Officials also announced the region's 95th death due to COVID-19a womanin her 60s.

In his weekly epidemiological summary, Ahmed said the region has the third-highest overall infection rate, in the province, behind Peel Region and Toronto.

Meanwhile, Premier Doug Fordis holding an emergency meeting with hospital officials Friday after theOntario Hospital Association sounded the alarm over strained capacity.

WECHU has ongoing contact with its provincial counterpart,and the unit has provideddata as well as some recommendations to the province, Ahmed said.

"We're hoping that at the end of all this some of those recommendations be implemented in Windsor and as well more broadly," he said, declining to say what those recommendations are.

Snapshot of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex

There have been5,446 COVID-19 cases recorded in the region since the pandemic began.

There are 66 people inhospital with COVID-19, including 14 in ICU. There are also71 suspected cases in hospital.

Of the new cases announced Friday, 31 are related to outbreaks, five are contacts of confirmed cases, 207 remain under investigation.

Throughout the pandemic, 95 deaths related to COVID-19 have been recorded by the health unit.

The 28 active outbreaks includetwo hospitals, Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital's Met campus. Two school outbreaks are also taking place, atGeneral Brock Public School andL.A. Desmarais Catholic Elementary School.

There are three outbreaks in community settings, Manor Lodge House,Victoria Manor Supportive Living and Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario.

There are 11 workplace outbreaks:

• Three in Leamington's agriculture sector.
• Three in Kingsville's agriculture sector.
• One in Lakeshore's health care and social assistance sector.
• One in Leamington's finance and insurance sector.
• One in Windsor's manufacturing sector.
• One in Kingsville's manufacturing sector.
• One in Tecumseh's manufacturing sector.

There are 10 COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes.

• Sun Parlour Home in Leamington with two staff cases
• Banwell Gardens Care Centre in Windsor with one staff and two resident cases
• The Shoreview at Riverside with one resident and two staff cases
• La Chaumiere Retirement in Puce with one staff case.
• Extendicare Tecumseh in Tecumseh with 26resident and five staff cases.
• Berkshire Care Centre in Windsor with 27resident and 23 staff cases.
• The Village at St. Clair in Windsor with 40staff cases and 61resident cases.
• Country Village in Woodslee with two staff cases and two resident cases.
• Chartwell St. Clair Beach in Tecumseh with 39 resident cases and fourstaff cases.
• Village of Aspen Lake in Tecumseh with two staff cases and one resident case.