Vaccine rollout trying to stay ahead of variants

REGIONAL — The Windsor-Essex Medical Doctor of Health says that the region is in a ‘holding pattern’ currently, when it comes to new daily cases of COVID-19.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed said Monday, that now is not the time to let our guard down, as Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent have made great strides in battling the spread of the virus, but variants of concern (VOC) are now making up the majority of newly diagnosed cases.

Those variants are known to spread more rapidly, with a possible higher severity, than the original version of COVID-19.

Of the 482 active cases in Windsor-Essex, Dr. Ahmed says that 34 per cent of them are a variant strand, making the race to get everyone vaccinated all that more urgent.

So far, in Windsor-Essex, just over 15,000 residents have tested positive since last March. The area has lost 413 people to COVID and 14,350 people have recovered. It’s unknown how many are experiencing lingering health problems.

At Monday morning’s daily press conference, Ahmed said approximately 148,000 people have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

About 13,600 people have had both doses. These are mostly Long Term Care residents and staff and hospital front-line workers. Dr. Ahmed is urging residents to take the first vaccine available to them.

In both health units, all residents 60-plus are eligible to receive a vaccine at a vaccination centre, while anyone with a N8H or N9Y postal code can now get a vaccine at 45-plus.

Also, anyone 40-plus can book a vaccine through their participating pharmacies.

Visit WEvax.ca in Windsor-Essex, or GetYourShotCK.ca if you reside in Chatham-Kent.

Dr. Ahmed said Monday that the goal is to get a shot into every adult’s arm in Windsor-Essex (that wants one) by Canada Day.