COVID-19 case rate in Windsor-Essex nearly doubles in a week

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says the rate of COVID-19 cases has nearly doubled in just a week.

The region is seeing about 36 cases per day, whereas this time last week it was around 20 per day.

Ramsey D'Souza, manager of epidemiology for the public health unit, presented the data during a virtual briefingThursday morning.

"So almost a two-fold jump,"he said.

Cases are rising across the province, and while the increase has been more dramatic in Windsor-Essex, other health units are seeing things escalate even more, according to D'Souza.

People 19 and under make up about 21 per cent of the cases in the last two weeks, whereas throughout the pandemic people in that age group accounted for 15 per cent.

WECHU reported 66 new cases on Thursday, the highest daily uptick seen since early September. There are326 active cases and 20 people are in hospital.

The pandemic's death toll has risen by one, to 468.

Person under 20 dies

The person who died was under 20 years old, the youngest person to pass away after contracting COVID-19 in the region.

That death was first reported in provincial statistics on Wednesday. On Thursday,the region'sacting medical officer of health, Dr. Shanker Nesathurai,declined to comment on the individual's vaccination status, sayingno further information would be released due to privacy.

There are currently 27 ongoing outbreaks, including five at schools:

• Essex Public School.
• St. Gabriel Catholic Elementary School.
• Leamington District Secondary School.
• Riverside Secondary School.
• D.M. Eagle Public School.

A unit of Windsor Regional Hospital's Ouellette Campus is in outbreak.Two long-term care homes, Chartwell Royal Oakin Kingsville and The Village at St. Clair in Windsor, are also in outbreak.

The remaining outbreaksare taking place in community settings and workplaces:

• Five in congregate settings.
• Four in fitness and recreation.
• Two in health care and social assistance.
• Two in manufacturing/industrial settings.
• One in a professional service setting.
• One in professional, scientific, and technical services.
• One at a place of worship.
• Two in retail settings.
• One at a public social event.