WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reporting one new death and 24 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.
Windsor-Essex has had a total of 3,120 confirmed cases of the virus, including 2,852 people who have recovered.
WECHU says the latest death was a resident of a long-term care home. He was a man in his 90s.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family,” said Windsor-Essex medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed.
“We are concerned that once it gets into these long term care homes, we know many of these individuals are highly vulnerable and even just a mild infection can be very deadly for them,” he said.
The death toll related to COVID-19 has reached 77 people in the region. The last reported death was on Sept.10.
Here’s the breakdown of new cases:
- 6 cases are community acquired
- 5 cases are close contacts of confirmed cases
- 3 cases are agri-farm workers
- 10 cases are still under investigation
There are 191 cases that are currently active. The health unit says one case from the past week was transferred over to another jurisdiction.
There are three outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes. Iller Lodge in Essex has 17 residents and one staff member with the virus.
Lifetimes on Riverside has five residents and four staff members who have tested positive. Berkshire Care Centre also has one staff case.
Tullio DiPonti, president of Unifor local 2458, says many workers in long term care homes are going into work knowing they will not have enough staff members.
“We need more staff,” DiPonti said. “That’s the only way that we’re going to give adequate care to these residents. If we don’t have enough staff, we’ll have bigger problems.”
There are currently seven people at Windsor Regional Hospital who have COVID-19, two of whom are in the ICU.
“We’re already running 100 per cent capacity locally. Many of our hospitals in the province are running at or close to capacity, our ICU’s are already full and we haven’t even seen the top of the wave yet,” said Karen Riddell, WRH vice president of care.
She said the virus can lead to respiratory failure, cardiac failure and can cause strokes and heart attacks.
“If you don’t know anybody that’s had COVID you’re lucky,” Riddell said. “And if you haven’t lost anybody from COVID-19, I hope it stays that way.”
Riddell said it’s important for the community to keep up with public health protocols.
“None of us want to experience it and certainly we don’t want to lose a loved one to it so please just practice the public health measures and help us reduce the incidents in the community,” she said.
The health unit says there have been recent cases in schools, but no outbreaks in schools. There has been an outbreak at a residence at the University of Windsor.
There is one workplace outbreak at an agricultural facility in Leamington.
- With files from CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell
