WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reporting two additional deaths and 30 new COVID-19 cases in the region.

A woman in her 60s from the community and a woman in her 80s in a long-term care home died related to the virus.

The local death toll related to COVID-19 has reached 350 people. WECHU says 226 deaths have occurred among residents and staff in long-term care and retirement homes.

Medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed says the first case of a COVID-19 variant has been detected in Windsor-Essex. It is still being tested to see which variant it is.

Windsor-Essex has had a total of 12,449 confirmed cases of the virus, including 11,825 people who have recovered.

Here’s the breakdown of new cases:

  • 7 are close contacts of confirmed cases
  • 6 are related to outbreaks
  • 5 are considered community acquired
  • 14 are still under investigation.

WECHU says 274 cases are considered active. There are 42 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the hospital and 11 people are in the ICU.

There are 20 outbreaks in the region, including 9 at LTC and retirement homes, 9 at workplaces, one community outbreak and one hospital outbreak.