For the past 15 months, Medical Officer of Health Doctor Wajid Ahmed has tirelessly answered questions from the public and offered scientifically sound advice during the pandemic.
Both he and Windsor-Essex County Health Unit CEO Theresa Marentette were the face of the local COVID-19 response through their daily YouTube briefings.
On Thursday, it was time to recognize their contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair awarded Ahmed with the Paul Harris Fellowship Award. It also recognized the health unit with its Community Humanitarian Award.
"These two awards recognize groups and individuals in the community for exceptional humanitarian work either locally or globally," said Club President Chuck Roy.
The club said the community has benefited "greatly from their daily press briefings, data collection and analysis, keeping the website current with important updates, setting up and overseeing multiple vaccination sites, and being able to pivot quickly" as the pandemic changed direction.
The health unit has done all of this while at the same time continuing restaurant inspections, beach inspections, dental screening, managing the flu season, and dealing with the ongoing opioid crisis.
"Our club has been so inspired by the work of Dr. Wajid Ahmed and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit," said Roy. "The two awards recipients exemplify the Rotary motto of service above self."
