Windsor-Essex has another death due to COVID-19 and two new outbreaks have been declared in area senior's homes.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reports a man in his 60s passed away Tuesday. He had underlying health issues and brings the total number of deaths to 62 in the region.
Another 13 positive cases were reported, bringing the total to 745.
The provincial government is poised to announce the first phase of re-opening the economy on Thursday, but local medical officer of health Dr. Wajid Ahmed is emphasizing this does not mean the risk has been eliminated.
"If you are really looking at it from a risk perspective, the risk hasn't changed in the last few weeks,” he says. “It still exists, it hasn't gone down but the good news is that it hasn't gone up, which is a good sign."
Dr. Ahmed says as more people venture outdoors, the risk of community spread is likely to increase.
"The risk could have gone up and instead of seeing 10 cases on average, we could be seeing 50-70 cases every day, so we aren't there yet,” he says. “So I can't say the risk has increased, but the risk hasn't gone down either."
He says his biggest concern now is perception about the risk.
"It doesn't mean that the risk has gone down or that the risk has decreased, the risk is still there. I think we are getting a better handle on how we are managing some of these cases and how these cases and contacts are being followed up."
The health unit also reports new outbreaks at Regency Park and Banwell Gardens — both in staff — bringing the total number of outbreaks in long-term care homes or retirement homes to 17.
12,203 tests have been done with 1,869 results pending.