WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says there are nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex.

Windsor-Essex medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed says a sixth case was reported Thursday night and three more cases were confirmed on Friday morning.

There have been 669 people tested in Windsor-Essex, with 462 tests pending.

“We have a number of test results that are pending and it could go either way,” says Ahmed.

The sixth case is a woman who travelled to Michigan. The seventh is a man in his 60s who travelled to Michigan and was in contact with the sixth case.

The man developed symptoms on March 18 and was tested at the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Windsor Regional Hospital. He is currently seeking local medical care with moderate to severe symptoms and is in self-isolation.

The eighth case is a man in his 50s who works in a healthcare centre in Michigan.

He developed symptoms on March 21 and was tested at Windsor’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre. The man is recovering at home with mild symptoms and is in self-isolation.

The WECHU is currently following up with close contacts of both cases.

Case nine was just received Friday morning, so no information is available at this time.

Over the past week, the WECHU has confirmed eight cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex and one Windsor resident who tested positive in Toronto.

Seven out of the eight confirmed cases include travel outside of Canada, six in the United States, including two healthcare workers.

“With hundreds of tests still pending and the number of confirmed cases rising in our community, our province and our country it is time to refocus our discussion to our mental health,” says Ahmed.

Ahmed says the events of Friday and Saturday, including the protective measures needed to curb the spread of infection, increase stress and anxiety and adversely affect individual and community mental health.

“There is a lot that is out of our individual control, which causes stress for all of us,” says Ahmed.

The health unit is recommending key steps to help reduce stress:

  • Create and keep a routine.
  • Stay connected to friends and family. Call or video are powerful tools if you are physically separated.
  • Stay up to date with accurate information.
  • Acknowledge and talk about your feelings
  • Get outside, even if only in your backyard. The outdoors and fresh air are incredible for our mental health.
  • Keep active to avoid getting down. Go for a walk, bike, and/or garden.

“While isolation and maintaining physical distance is important to the fight against COVID-19, it can have detrimental effects on our mental health,” adds Ahmed. “We have to start thinking of innovative ways to stay connected to each other, to ensure that we can sustain a mentally healthy community during this crisis.”

As of 8:30 a.m. Friday, there were 4,043 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada and 858 cases in Ontario, with 15 deaths.

With files from CTV Windsor's Sijia Liu.