CBC Windsor May 8 COVID-19 update: Here's what's happening today

The Windsor Essex County Health Unit reported Friday that another person has died due to COVID-19 in our area.

The latest victim was a woman in her 100s.

There are now 685reported cases of COVID-19 in our area, an increase of 11 new cases since Thursday.

The health unit reports that of the 58 people who have died in the region, 44 were residents of retirement and long-term care homes. However, CBC News has confirmed at least 46 deaths in residents at these facilities.

Deaths in long-term care, retirement homes

As COVID-19 cases continue to dwindle in the community, the elderly living in the region's long-term care and retirement homes continue to be hardest hit by the disease.

This week, the list of homes under an outbreak spikedwith 11 facilities currently under an outbreak and five people all residents of long-term care or retirement homes in the area have died.

CBC News has learned that 14patientsdied at Windsor Regional Hospital's field hospital set up at St. Clair College's Sportsplex. They were residents who had been living at Heron Terrace long-term care home.

WATCH| The health unit's COVID-19 update for May 8:

Doctor Wassim Saad, chief of staff at Windsor Regional Hospital,saidthe deaths were "unfortunate," but were almost inevitable.

"All but I believe three of them had goals of care discussions and did not wish to have any type of aggressive measures for resuscitation if they deteriorated, so if they would have required a ventilator, their advanced wishes were that they did not want a ventilator. They just wanted to be kept comfortable," he said.

Saad saidthe strategy of transferring these patients to the field hospital has saved lives, by preventing the spread of the coronavirus to staff and other residents at Heron Terrace.

Heron Terrace has been badly hit by the pandemic, with 21 residents having died of COVID-19. Another 67 residents have tested positive for the disease along with 25 staff members.

At Country Village Homes in Woodslee,at least 19 people have diedwhile 70 residents and 29 employees have tested positive.

The nine other facilities currently under an outbreak areAmica Riverside,Sun Parlor Home for Senior Citizens, Lifetimes on Riverside, Franklin Gardens, Extendicare Southwood Lakes, The Village at St. Clair, Chartwell Kingsville Retirement Residence,Chartwell Oak Park LaSalle Retirement Residence and Berkshire Care Centre the last three being added to the list this week.

Where are we on the curve?

On Fridays, the health unit provides a detailed breakdown of COVID-19 in the community, including where we are on the curve of the spread of the disease.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed, medical officer of health, said it looks as though we have passed the peak of new cases, although numbers in long-term care homes continueto be high.

The "doubling time" which indicates how quickly the case-count doubles, has decreased to every five days which Ahmed points to as another indicator of a flattening curve.

Precautions such as physical distancing is important to continue to flatten the curve, said Ahmed.

Compared to some other regions, Windsor-Essex has a high rate of COVID-19 which Ahmed attributes to the higher elderly population in ourcommunity.

About 30 per cent of all positive cases continue to be in health-care workers in our community which has been consistent since the pandemic began.

COVID-19 in Sarnia-Lambton

Lambton Public Health reportedthere are 193confirmed cases of COVID-19 in that region.

Overall, 16people have died and 127people have recovered from the disease.

Long-term care home Vision Nursing Home in Sarniais currently under an outbreak. There arefourcases among residents and two cases in staff members. Two residents there have died.

COVID-19 in Chatham-Kent

Chatham-Kent Pubic Health reported 89confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region as of Monday,with more than half of them connected to a single workplace.

The recent uptick was due to an outbreak at Greenhill Produce greenhouse near Kent Bridge. Fifty-oneworkers there have tested positive for the disease.

In Chatham-Kent, one person has died due to COVID-19 and 35people have recovered.