The Medical Officer of Health in Windsor-Essex does not think the region is ready just yet to move to the orange or restrict level of the Reopening Ontario Framework.
Doctor Wajid Ahmed said while the rate of transmission is lower and the positivity rate has improved, the region still has too many cases.
To move into orange, Ahmed said the rate of transmission needs to be 2.5 or lower. Positivity rates need to be 1.2 or less, and there need to be fewer than 40 cases for every 100,000 people that live in the region.
For every 100,000 residents in Windsor-Essex, there are 47 cases. Ahmed said it is that number that is holding the region back in the red or control level.
On the plus side, the region has an RO rate of 1.03 and 2.3 per cent of tests are coming back positive for the virus.
Ahmed announced 32 new cases on Friday and one additional death, a man in his 70s who lived in the community. Of the new ones, 14 are from close contact with a previously confirmed case, community spread accounts for nine, one is from travel outside of North American, and one is connected to an outbreak. Another seven are under investigation.
As of Friday, there were 261 active cases in Windsor-Essex, with 47 people in the hospital.
Starting Friday and over the weekend, public health officials will call those seniors over 80 who have pre-registered for a COVID-19 vaccine.
CEO of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, Theresa Marentette, said 8,400 people pre-registered on the first day. Of those, 7,000 are eligible. Another 1,400 will have to wait but will remain in the system until they can also get vaccinated.
The health unit plans to open two vaccination clinics. The one at the WFCU Centre in Windsor will open on Monday, and another at the Nature Fresh Farms Recreation Centre will open on March 8.
Marentette said there would be a meeting on Friday to decide how far in advance to book appointments. However, public health officials have repeatedly said everyone in that age group that wants a vaccine would eventually get one.
COVID-19 has hit those over 80 the hardest. Since March, 64 per cent of all deaths have been among that cohort of seniors.
