WINDSOR-ESSEX — There has been a significant decline in community transmission of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reporting ten new cases, bringing the total to 604 cases with between 10 and 12 per cent of them needing hospital care.
There have not been any new deaths in the past 24 hours.
A total of 50 people have died of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex.
During his regular Friday analysis, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed says most cases now are due to close contact with someone with the virus, whereas in the past, it was due to travel history.
"In the early part of the pandemic in Windsor-Essex, more of the cases were attributed to travel," he says. "More recently there has been a signicant shift in transmission between a close contact, in the middle community transmission and now we are seeing a decrease in community transmission."
D. Ahmed notes this proves the impact of physical distancing.
"If we can track down most of the cases to a close contact, that means we are reducing community spread. This is what we want before we start talking about opening up or easing those restrictions."
He says close contact cases refer to people living under the same roof, working together and in particular, health care workers and people working in long-term care homes.
"Anyone who is providing care and if they get sick, a health care worker if they get sick, that is all classified under close contact."
Dr. Ahmed says we have likely 'reached our peak'.
7,330 people have been tested locally with 1,350 tests are pending.
The fatality rate in Windsor-Essex sits at 8 percent, whereas the provincial rate is at 6%.
According to Dr. Ahmed, that is due to the large senior population in this region.