The Windsor Essex County Health Unit reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday bringing the weekend total of new cases to 80.
Of Sunday’s confirmed cases, 19 are close contacts of a confirmed case, three are local health care workers, one is community acquired, one is a farm workers and 18 are under investigation.
The region has 275 currently active cases. There are outbreaks at two schools, four long-term care or retirement homes, and one community setting.
– Waterloo region gets provincial help for COVID-19 enforcement
As cases rise and the region prepares to go into the “red zone” of the provincial COVID-19 framework, local businesses and workplaces can expect to see more enforcement officers stopping by.
Along with city and regional bylaw officers, public health inspectors and police, there are also now 30 inter-ministerial health officers from the province in Waterloo region to help with COVID-19 education and enforcement at local businesses.
Regional Chair Karen Redman said Friday during a media briefing that these officers will be in the region for “a few weeks.”
“This supports our own current efforts to build awareness and ensure workplaces stay safe and stay open,” she said. “We’ve seen too many outbreaks in employee settings where COVID-19 is spreading from one worker to another.”
Sandy Stevens, the region’s director of health protection and investigation, said in an emailed statement to CBC Kitchener-Waterloo that the officers are being offered to all health units in the province.
“The ministry offered this additional support during the pandemic and we saw no reason not to have additional eyes in the community as we have limited staff available for such work,” Stevens said.
