WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reporting nine additional deaths and 14 new COVID-19 cases in the region on Thursday.

Six people who died are from the community - a man in his 60s, a man in his 70s, three men in their 80s and a man in his 90s. Three are from long-term care - a man in his 80s and a man and a woman in their 90s.

The deaths took place from Feb. 13 - Feb. 17. The local death toll related to COVID-19 has reached 364 people.

Medical health officer Dr. Wajid Ahmed says so far in the region, two cases have been identified as COVID-19 variants. They were not associated with vulnerable populations. A possible third variant is under investigation at a local long-term care home.

Ahmed says the cases are still being investigated to determine which variants they are. It is unknown if they are the same variants or different ones.

The health unit also presented information Thursday showing where people are contracting COVID-19 by location. Ahmed says 76.1 per cent of cases from Jan. 29 to Feb. 17 were from private residences.

Exposure location

Windsor-Essex has had a total of 12,696 confirmed cases of the virus, including 12,028 people who have recovered.

Here’s the breakdown of new cases:

  • 1 is a close contact of a confirmed case
  • 3 are related to outbreaks
  • 10 are still under investigation.

WECHU says 304 cases are considered active. There are 40 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the hospital and seven people are in the ICU.

There are 11 outbreaks in the region, including five at LTC and retirement homes, two at workplaces, three community outbreaks and one hospital outbreak.