COVID-19 indicators show softening in Windsor-Essex, as health unit pleads with public to get boosted

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) is reporting Thursday that many of the COVID-19 indicators are currently showing the burden of disease in the community is softening.

WECHU uses information like COVID-19-related deaths, hospitalizations, intensive care admissionsand wastewater data to track the disease in the community.

According to the latest epidemiological summary released Thursday, those indicators have all showed declines in the past week of tracking.

However, acting medical officer of health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, said things could change.

"A general point I would make is that indicators suggest there is a diminished burden of disease in Windsor-Essex but as always we should be cautious as we interpret the data," he said during a media briefing Thursday.

"It's unpredictable ...Disease burden at least in the past has waxed and [waned] and public health measures have also bee modulated by the level of disease burden."

WECHU reported Thursday that one more person a man in his 80s has died due to COVID-19. He was a resident of a long-term care or retirement home in the community.

Due to a data clean up, the local death toll continues to be at 573 individuals.

As of Thursday, 37 people are hospitalized locally with COVID-19, including eight people in intensive care.

Booster needed for 'up to date' protection

Roughly 87.4 per cent of Windsor-Essex residents aged 12 and up have receivedat least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, but Nesathurai said a booster is needed for better protection.

"One thing to consider is most people who had two doses of vaccine had their second dose in the summer of 2021. The vaccine starts to wear three, four, fivemonths after the injection," he said.

"As we move forward, we have maybe half the people in the district who have three doses but we have a group of people susceptible with only two doses, and as time goes on we would encourage those people to get their booster dose so they can be up to date and have the best possible protection."

For those aged 18 and older, the third dose or booster coverage rate is about 52.6 per cent among local residents. Those aged 18 to 24 have the lowest booster coverage rate at 30.7 per cent.

Those who already have had COVID-19 may have some added immunity, but are not as protected as people who are up to date with their vaccinations, said Nesathurai.

"The best possible advice we can give to people is to be up to date on their vaccine, and being up to date currently is getting three injections, which means to get the booster."

Overall, 70,000 residents locally do not have a vaccine, Nesathurai said, including 20,000 children under age five who are not yet eligible to receive one.

With Friday being a day off for most students, WECHU has planned threewalk-in vaccine clinics, providing first and second doses to those aged five and older and booster doses for those aged 12 and older. They are at:

• St. Anne Catholic High School,11 a.m. 6 p.m.
• Forest Glade Arena,9 a.m. 4 p.m.
• Adie Knox Herman Arena,9 a.m. 4 p.m.

Pop-up clinics are for walk-ins only, but anyone looking for an appointment can still visitwww.WEVax.cato make a booking or find out more information.