Windsor-Essex in 'comfortable' position to move into Step 2 of reopening: MOH
The province has indicated Step 2 of reopening won’t take place until July 2, but the Medical Officer of Health for Windsor-Essex says the region is already in a comfortable position to loosen restrictions.
Dr. Wajid Ahmed says that considering the high vaccination rate and low COVID-19 case count in Windsor-Essex, he would feel comfortable with moving to Step 2 early.
"If the trend continues, if the province announce that maybe this weekend or the next weekend, we can move to the next step, I'd be comfortable with that," says Ahmed.
WECHU reported nine new cases on Wednesday and there are only 89 active cases in the region.
"Even from last week to this week, I think we are moving in a better direction, with case rates consistently coming into a position which makes me feel much more comfortable every day," says Ahmed.
Ahmed doesn’t have the authority to move the region to Step 2 without provincial approval.
“As a community, we are in a position that we can open up sooner than later, but we recognize that this is something that’s happening provincially,” says Ahmed.
The Ontario Roadmap to Reopening hinges on several factors province-wide, including hospitalizations and vaccine coverage.
Kingsville council would also like to see the region reopen earlier and has backed a motion to invite Premier Doug Ford to visit the town to better understand the situation outside of the Greater Toronto Area.
“It’s very different than the GTA and certainly we understand the pressures of being a hot spot,” Kingsville mayor Nelson Santos says. “We were that hot spot for quite a long time and we suffered through and found a way.”
Santos feels this is an important time to help small businesses recover from shutdowns.
“It’s not business as normal for our community, and we kinda need to get back to what we’re used to this time of year,” he says.
The mayor would like to have council sign off on the letter and have it sent to Ford by the end of the week.
Windsor-Essex is better than the provincial average on both fronts. There are currently 10 people in the hospital with the virus, and three in the ICU.
The region has also surpassed the vaccine goals of over 70 per cent vaccinated with one dose and 20 per cent with both doses.
"In Step 2 of the reopening plan, we do talk about at least 20 per cent of the people vaccinated with two doses so we have already crossed that mark and crossed that significantly at more than 25 per cent," says Ahmed. "So we are in a better position to maybe consider reopening but I always caution in terms of the active cases."
Ontario's reopening roadmap (Supplied: Government of Ontario)
Windsor-Essex and the rest of the province moved into Step 1 on Friday, June 11, allowing patio dining and non-essential retail to reopen.
Step 2 would allow personal care services to reopen, six-people per table at patios, increased capacity at stores and outdoor sports games.
Indoor dining and indoor gyms are part of Step 3 of reopening, proposed for July 23.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.