CBC Windsor's April 3 COVID-19 update: Health unit projections forecast cases in the thousands by mid-month

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reported Friday that two residents in long-term carehomes in our region have died due to COVID-19.

One man and one woman both in their 80s have died at the Country Village Homes facility in Woodslee, Ont.

That's now three deaths due to COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex, after an 80-year-old man died atWindsor Regional Hospital on Tuesday night.

There are now141 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region, including outbreaks at three long-term care homes.

Five residents and one staff member at Country Village Homes; one staff member and one resident currently in hospital from the Amica Riverside seniors' home; and one staff member and one resident at Lifetimes on Riverside have all tested positive for COVID-19.

"These are tragic losses to our community. These are people we're talking about. These are parents. These are grandparents," said medical officer of healthDr. Wajid Ahmed.

The health unit provided a detailed breakdown of the current cases in the region and projections on the same day the province is expectedto provide a briefingon modelling projections for the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario.

More than 60 per cent of people diagnosed had travelled to Michigan.

More than 80 per cent of people with COVID-19 are recovering at home in self isolation

Ahmed said the cases are doubling fast, and if current projections continuethe case count could be in the thousands by mid-April.

"Right now cases are doubling fast, and we need to do everything to slow it down," he said.

But Ahmed said theprojections are not absolute, and if the public closely follows strict physical-distancing measures that are in place, these projections can decline.

"These numbers should give us a sobering thought," said Ahmed.

According to the data, if residents do not follow precaution measures,we could see 200,000 cases and4,000 deaths in Windsor-Essex. If the communitytakes action and allstrictly follow physical distancing measures, we could reduce that by about 95 per cent.

Watch the health unit'supdate for April 3.:

Here's what's happening in our area:

• Windsor nurse, family craft homemade hair covers to protect against COVID-19
• Windsor-Essex residents wondering who to call for COVID-19 delinquencies
• Windsor Regional Hospital to convert St. Clair College SportsPlex into COVID-19 field hospital

Sarnia-Lambtonoutbreak

The health unit in Sarnia-Lambton reported 63 confirmed cases and seventotal deaths in the region.

Landmark Village seniors' home in Sarnia, Ont. is experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak with at least six confirmed cases, including four deaths connected to the facility as of Wednesday.

One woman, Charlotte Jones, is the grandmother of national figure skating championMichael Marinaro.

Jones' funeral is Friday, and family members will say goodbye to Jones from their cars during a small graveside service. Due to a lockdown at her facility, the family were not able to pick out clothes for her andCharlotte Jones will be buried in a shroud.

Chatham-Kent cases

Chatham-Kent Public Health reports there are nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region.

As of Monday evening, Chatham-Kent medical officer of health Dr. David Colby confirmed that the region's first confirmed COVID-19 case a man in his 50s has made a full recovery.

"He has done wonderfully," Colby wrote in a media release published Monday. "He has satisfied every quarantine measure that was put in place to prevent the spread of the infection."

Donations still needed

Since the public appeal for medical products was first issued on March 23,City of Windsor and County of Essex staff have been processing donations and deploying products directly to frontline health care staff across the region.

• Over 90 individuals or organizations have donated materials and supplies
• 1,500 N-95 respirator masks have been collected
• 31,000 surgical face masks have been received
• 29,000 pairs of disposable gloves have been donated;
• Nearly 100 pairs of goggles or face shields have been collected

Donations are arriving in both large and small quantities, ranging from a single box of gloves to a donation of over 14,000 face masks from one organization.

To make a donation, please visit the WFCU Centre at 8787 McHugh Street. Please pull up to the Community Rink doors off the main parking lot where staff will direct you after a short screening process. The hours of operation will remain on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the foreseeable future.

These items are being put to immediate use in hospitals, by paramedics, fire, police and correctional services, as well as long-term care homes.