The number of outbreaks in long-term care facilities in Windsor-Essex continues to go in the right direction with 14 homes now impacted, down from a high of 18.
During the daily update by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), it was reported that outbreaks at three long-term care homes and retirement homes have been rescinded. Those homes are Lifetimes on Riverside, Chartwell Kingsville, Chartwell Oak Park LaSalle and Country Village Homes.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed says the goal now is to make sure these three long-term care homes, that are no longer in outbreak status, remain safe from COVID-19.
"We know many of these residents do not go outside and with further restriction on visitors, the key piece is staffing,” he says. “The staff how they are conducting themselves and how they are spending time outdoors and when they are coming to the facility, are they following all the right health measures."
Dr. Wajid Ahmed says there are criteria to remove the outbreak status from a long-term care or retirement home.
"14 days straight, if there is no new onset of symptoms or no new case, it would be safe to assume there is no transmission happening in the facility, because all of these residents in these facilities are being monitored for their symptoms."
Dr. Ahmed also spoke on Wednesday to Ontario now being in stage one to reopen the province, where homeowners can now have a babysitter, housekeeper, cook or butler in their home, which despite it being allwoed by the province, he is advising against.
"I would not recommend having anyone who doesn't live in your house, to come into your home, it is common sense and everyone's situation could be different," says Dr. Ahmed.
The WECHU reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex and no new deaths, bringing the total numbers to 805 cases, with 63 deaths and 455 cases resolved.
14,474 people have been tested with 1,004 results pending.