Officials with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit are reporting one new death in the region related to COVID-19.
As of Saturday afternoon, the total number of fatalities now sits at 51.
The latest death is a woman in her 90s who passed away on Friday. According to local health officials, she had tested positive for the virus and was a resident at a long-term care facility.
“I, and the team at WECHU, share our condolences and sympathies with the family on the loss of their loved one. It is never easy to lose someone, but during COVID-19 it is especially challenging.” Said Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health
There are currently seven outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes across the Windsor-area including AMICA, Sun Parlour, Lifetimes on Riverside, Heron Terrace, Country Village Homes, Franklin Gardens, and Extendicare Southwood Lakes.
There were also eight new cases of the virus reported by the health unit on Saturday, bringing the total up to 612.
Overall, 7,752 individuals have been tested for COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex and 1,361 tests are pending.
As the weather warms up, Ahmed is encouraging people to spend some time outdoors while still practicing safety measures.
“We are all in this together and we must all continue to do our part to keep ourselves and our community safe," he said. "As recommendations and restrictions change the public should not forget to continue practicing measures for their own protection, especially regular and frequent hand washing and physical distancing.”
As of Saturday afternoon, the number of COVID-19 cases across the province was at 17,119.