Three more people in Chatham-Kent have lost their lives to COVID-19.
Chatham-Kent Public Health spokesperson Caress Lee Carpenter said a man in his 60s and two women in their 90s are the latest to succumb to the virus. She noted one death is from last week and two are from earlier this week.
COVID-19 has now claimed 52 lives in Chatham-Kent since the pandemic started in March of 2020.
The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is reporting 17 COVID-19 patients at the Chatham hospital. Hospital officials said 10 of them are being treated primarily for the virus and seven are not fully vaccinated.
Health unit statistics showed the number of outbreaks is holding at five and the average number of cases a day has dropped again to 38, down from 43 on Thursday. The largest outbreak is at Village on the Ridge Long-Term Care Home in Ridgetown with 42 cases. The outbreak was declared on January 17, 2022.
Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said the new deaths are not surprising, adding there's hope on the horizon.
"We are seeing deaths trickling in and that of course is devastating really. There shouldn't be any, but can't help that," said Colby. " There are signs of hope and the fact that we have a drug [Paxlovid] now that can treat severe COVID that is beginning to become available and will be more available as time goes on."
Colby said Paxlovid is not available in Chatham-Kent yet but he is confident it will become more widely available as time passes. For now, Windsor Regional Hospital is the nearest location for eligible COVID-19 patients to get Plaxlovid.
Health Canada said Paxlovid pills from Pfizer can be given to adults 18 and older who are positive for COVID-19 and are experiencing mild or moderate illness, but are at high risk of becoming more seriously ill.
