WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says another person has died related to COVID-19 in the region.
The number of deaths related to the virus in Windsor-Essex has increased to 70.
Windsor-Essex medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed says a man in his 70s is the latest death.
“This person was admitted sometime in the middle of July and was later transferred to ICU,” says Ahmed. “He also had many underlying health concerns.”
He says the man died with after complications associated with respiratory failure after he was admitted to the ICU.
“He was a case from the community,” says Ahmed.
The heath unit reports 24 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. WECHU says 11 cases are in the agri-farm sector, nine cases are in the community and four are still under investigation.
There have been 2,245 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex, including 1,434 people who have recovered.
Ahmed spent a good portion of his Tuesday news briefing talking about close contacts.
“What I’m concerned about it the close contact and the number of close contacts,” says Ahmed.
He says the close contacts of someone with COVID-19 may not have any symptoms, or may not show symptoms right away. The health unit staff members try to reach out to the close contacts of positive cases as soon as possible to help prevent the spread.
“Our goal is 48 hours within the positive lab results,” says Ahmed.
There are 11 workplaces experiencing outbreaks. Two of the outbreaks are in manufacturing facilities in Windsor and one manufacturing facility in Leamington, Tecumseh and Kingsville. There are also four agricultural facilities in Kingsville and two agricultural facilities in Leamington in outbreak status.
There are currently three long-term care or retirement homes in outbreak status – Village of Aspen Lakes and Augustine Villas in Kingsville and Chartwell in Leamington.
