WECHU remains 'cautious' as some COVID-19 restrictions ease

As some COVID-19 restrictionsease this week, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says it remains "cautious."

On Monday,travel rules slightly eased, allowing fully vaccinated travellers to show proof of a negative rapid antigen test 24 hours before returning rather than a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)test. Starting Tuesday, Ontarians will be able to gather in indoor public settings with no capacity limits and with no need to show proof of vaccination, unlessbusinesses and other settings choose to continue to require it.

"I think we're cautious," WECHU CEO Nicole Dupuis said, adding the health unit is now starting to look at how it can restore its regular operations.

"We are discussing internally how do we start to bring those resources back and bolster and restart some of the programs that have quite frankly been on hold or minimal capacity for almost two years, so that part we're quite excited to be talking about, but definitely moving forward cautiously."

Earlier this year, the health unit told CBC News that its Health Families Unit was one it was working to get back up to full speed, as most staff had been redeployed to deal with COVID-19 and vaccinations.

The region's acting medical officer of health, Dr. Shanker Nesathurai, said they are looking to refocus their efforts on other public health concerns, such as the opioid crisis and getting people up to date with vaccinations other than COVID.

"The public health service will continue to monitor the burden of the pandemic on the community. We encourage people to still engage in physical distancing and to stay at home when they're sick and to remain vigilant as we move forward over these next few weeks. I do think we are in a more quiescent phase of the pandemic," he said.

WECHU is reporting 233 new high risk cases in the region Monday, including101 reported on Saturday and 84 reported on Sunday.

These are cases amongpeopleeligible for apolymerase chain reaction (PCR) test in Ontario.

Those who are eligible includehospitalized patients, patient-facing health care workers, staff, residents, essential care providers, and visitors in hospitals and congregate living settings, homeless individuals, people who are from First Nation, Inuit, and Metis communitiesand elementary and secondary school staff and students who have received a PCR self-collection kit through their school.

A full list for testing eligibilityis available onlinehere.

In total, there are 283 active high risk COVID-19 cases in Windsor-Essex.

There are 52 people in hospital with the disease and five in the ICU.

Twenty outbreaks are active, including:

• Nine in long-term care and retirement homes.
• Six in the community.
• Three hospital unit outbreaks.
• Two workplace outbreaks.