Area mayors are asking residents to fight pandemic fatigue, and continue to follow current public health guidelines to bring COVID-19 cases down in the community.
"We're all suffering from pandemic fatigue, and I know we miss gathering with our families and our friends, and I know the warnings are getting tired and stale but look, cases are surging, and we need to react accordingly," said Essex County Warden Gary McNamara.
All local municipalities and police forces have also agreed that enforcement will be stepped up for those choosing to break the rules.
Over the weekend, the Windsor Police Service used its Problem-Oriented Policing Unit to respond to complaints of businesses not following public health guidelines. According to Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, the unit responded to many calls, but no fines were issued because all businesses were in compliance.
The region is currently in the yellow or protect level on the province's COVID-19 response framework. Individuals are being asked to limit contacts to people who live with them and avoid social gatherings whenever possible.
"We want to maintain some level of activity, and it's key that we don't let that guard down," said Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos. "We're going to need to continue to work and keep an eye on progressive safety for us in the region.
Over the last week, the Windsor Essex County Health Unit has reported an average of 24 new cases of COVID-19 a day in the community. As of Wednesday morning, there were 189 active cases of COVID-19 in the community and 13 people in the hospital receiving treatment for the virus.