Another COVID-19 death has been reported in Chatham-Kent to bring the total number of deaths linked to the virus to 53 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Chatham-Kent Public Health spokesperson Jeff Moco said the latest death involves a man in his 70s. It's also the first reported COVID-19 death in the municipality in a week.
The number of active outbreaks is now up to three after the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) reported the Medicine Unit is in outbreak with three cases.
CKHA said the current looser visitor policy will remain in place, except in Medicine B. Medine B inpatients will not be permitted visitors at this time, unless an exception applies. There is no change to care partner access for end-of-life patients on the outbreak unit and other exceptions may be permitted through the visitor appeals process.
The health unit has also cleared a COVID-19 outbreak at St. Andrew's Retirement Home in Chatham. It was declared over on Wednesday.
The average number of cases per day over the last week has also dropped to 33 from 35 on Wednesday.
CKHA is reporting 20 COVID-19 patients in the Chatham hospital. CKHA said 11 of them are being treated primarily for the virus and one of them is in the ICU.
Chatham-Kent Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Colby said he's more optimistic this week about the COVID-19 situation in Chatham-Kent. Colby said Chatham-Kent has had one of the worst per capita COVID-19 results in the province, but that is improving.
"I think there are a lot of indicators that things are abating," said Colby. "If you look at the per capita numbers in the last few weeks, Chatham-Kent has been not particularly good in terms of other health units in Ontario, but our relative position to those health units has improved."
Meanwhile, the municipal COVID-19 front is improving too.
The municipality said the three municipal offices in Ridgetown, Tilbury and Dresden that have been shut down for weeks because of staff infected with the virus will reopen on Monday.
The three centres have been closed since January 31, 2022 due to high levels of staff under COVID-19 protocols and were also closed for a two-week period in January for the same reason.
Cathy Hoffman, Chatham-Kent’s General Manager of Human Resources, said the municipality, as have all employers, has had the challenge of managing staff and maintaining services throughout the pandemic.
She said employee and community safety will continue to be the guiding principle regarding municipal services.
Dresden Service Ontario office remains open by appointment only.
