A private lab in Windsor is waiting for approval from the Ministry of Health to process COVID-19 tests and other public health specimens.
It has been about ten years since the public health lab closed in Windsor-Essex. Since then, all public health testing has been sent to London or Toronto.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said it is critical Windsor has its own lab.
"We need that. Especially as we move into the second wave. A quick turnaround of the testing is critically important for many of the work that is needed from a public health side to initiate all of the investigations in a timely manner," said Dr. Wajid.
Final approval will come from the province. Once approved, it could take up to a month to set the lab up.
Over the last week, about 700 individuals in Windsor-Essex were tested for COVID-19 daily. The majority of tests are taking 48 hours to be returned.
On Tuesday, the Windsor Essex County Health Unit reported five more cases of COVID-19. Among the new cases are three close contacts, one community-acquired case, and one case remains under investigation.
There are currently 56 active cases of COVID-19 in the community, and three people are in the hospital.