The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit will not confirm if a fake vaccination passport was used at a Kingsville restaurant where 42 people at one party tested positive for COVID-19.
The health unit is reluctant to even say what day the party at Elite Restaurant was held. Acting Medical Officer of Health Doctor Shanker Nesathurai cited patient confidentiality.
"As challenging as it is, we try to protect the privacy of the people we serve," Nesathurai said. "We work with a lot of sensitive information, and at the public health service, we're reluctant to identify to single out any person or enterprise unless it serves an important public health goal. I would prefer that the public health unit share the dates of exposure."
The health unit has asked anyone who was at Elite Restaurant between November 18 and December 2 to watch for symptoms of the virus.
Nesathurai confirmed 42 people, so far, have tested positive.
"We have recommended testing for a large number of people affiliated with the enterprise," he said.
Some media outlets quoted the owner of Elite Restaurant, who said at least one patron "faked their vaccination status." WindsorNewsToday.ca has been unable to independently verify the statement.
Nesathurai did add it would be difficult to determine if one person with a fake vaccination passport is responsible for the outbreak.
"The public health service tries to work without judgement," he said. "Outbreaks of this nature often have many factors that contribute to it -- Typically, there's not one event that is primarily responsible."
Had someone used a faked vaccine passport, CEO Nicole Dupuis could not say what penalties they may face. She referred reporters to the Ontario Provincial Police.
"If someone has a fraudulent vaccine record, we don't have the authority to charge for that," she said. "We would defer to the proper authorities to investigate any kind of fraud, which would be the police."
So far, the OPP is not investigating. Constable Steve Duguay told WindsorNewsToday.ca said to date, no one has filed a formal complaint that would prompt police to launch an investigation.
On Wednesday, the health unit reported another 80 cases. Those include 33 that remain under investigation. Twenty-four people caught the virus in the community, and 23 were close contacts of a previously confirmed case.
There are 530 active cases across the region, and 30 people in the hospital, including 19 in intensive care at Windsor Regional Hospital.
Nine schools have outbreaks of the virus, unchanged from Tuesday, along with 18 workplaces, two long-term or retirement homes, and four classified as community outbreaks.
Dupuis also reminded the public those 50 and older can start booking appointments for booster shots on Monday, December 13. So far, 39,386 people have had their third shot.