With January winding down, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed says the health unit was not anticipating the high rate of COVID-19 cases along with the number of deaths in the region this month.
He says they were anticipating it to be bad in and around Christmas time and right after the holidays.
"The way our region progressed to that high rates of cases and the high number of deaths, we were not anticipating that," says Dr. Ahmed.
Since December 29, the region has recorded more than 4,300 COVID-19 cases and more than 170 deaths linked to the virus.
"It is unfortunate that we have lost so many lives to COVID in our region in such a short period of time so that's I think the most hardest part for me to look back and see why those people died with all these high rates in the community, it's what happens," says Dr. Ahmed.
He says he's trying to remain optimistic.
"It is unfortunate we have lost that many lives but I am hopeful that as we move on we the second doses of vaccine in the long term care home and retirement home, at least we will be protecting our most vulnerable in our community," he says.
On January 8, Windsor-Essex passed 200 deaths since the pandemic began.
Since then, the total has increased to 311 as of Friday January 29.