As COVID-19 restrictions on capacity were lifted this week, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit saw subtle increases in the case rate per capita and the number of patients in hospital.
According to the health unit's weekly epidemiological summary, released Thursday morning, the high-risk cases rate of COVID-19 in the region went up 3.1 per cent to 130.3 per 100,000 population, and percent positivity went up a paltry 0.6 percentage points to 13.6 per cent.
At hospitals, admissions increased this week in Windsor-Essex while declining across Ontario.
Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Shanker Nesathurai said while he doesn't have a crystal ball, the health unit will continue watching trends as restrictions are ended.
"It's always difficult to predict the future, but I do think that it's worth noting that the health unit continues to monitor the key metrics of disease burden," said Nesathurai. "COVID has not been eradicated, and it's not likely to be eradicated in the near future, so I think the public health management and clinical management has to include how to address COVID and COVID-related illnesses moving forward."
The health unit will continue to push vaccinations, particularly with booster shots and young people. Health Unit CEO Nicole Dupuis said that once the time comes when the vaccination clinics close, the vaccine will still be readily available, and the program won't end anytime soon.
"We'll continue to deliver COVID vaccines in pharmacies, through primary care, through the public health unit," said Dupuis. "Our strategy will be more intensive on these mobile and pop-up clinics that we'll bring throughout the community and into the neighbourhoods."
The epidemiological summary reported that 49.7 per cent of residents 12 and older have had a booster shot, with those aged 12 to 17 having the lowest third-dose coverage rate with 6.6 per cent.
For those with two doses, kids five to 11 had the lowest coverage rate with 24.9 per cent, despite an overall 78.9 per cent rate for all residents five and older.
As of 3 p.m. Thursday, there was a total of 40 patients in local hospitals being treated for COVID-19. Windsor Regional Hospital had the lion's share of cases with 30, with 22 admitted primarily for the virus. Four patients are in intensive care, with three admitted for COVID-19.
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare reported seven patients with COVID-19 in its case, while Erie Shores Healthcare had just three.
The health unit reported 88 new high-risk cases Thursday, for the second day in a row, and the active high-risk caseload fell slightly to 270. There were no new deaths.
