As expected, COVID-19 has officially arrived in Windsor, but the health unit says the risk to the public is still very low.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit confirmed a man in his 60s tested positive for the virus Friday. According to Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed, the man returned to Windsor after travelling to the Caribbean on a cruise and there is no evidence of community spread.
He began showing symptoms on March 11 and was tested on March 16 at the Windsor Regional Hospital Assessment and Testing Centre. Dr. Ahmed says the resident, who is currently recovering at home, did the right thing when he returned to Canada.
"All this time the person was closely monitoring the symptoms and was self-isolating," he says. "He followed all the right instructions so we still feel the risk to our community is low. It's further reassuring that our system is working and we are following all those guidelines and protocols to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community."
A man in his 20's was announced as the second positive case Saturday afternoon. According to the health unit, he works at a healthcare facility in Michigan and has no international travel history.
He began showing symptoms on March 15 and has been self-isolating at home. The WECHU has been in contact with Detroit Public Health and is, "actively involved in contact tracing and case management."
The health unit expects to see more cases, according to Wajid.
A recommendation for the immediate closure of non-essential retail sales and personal services was issued Friday to, "to reduce the impact of cases and also try to reduce the peak of any cases."
Devonshire and Tecumseh malls close at the end of the day Saturday under a state of emergency declared by the city of Windsor.
According to the health unit, 314 tests have been administered with 199 results still pending.