People 40 and older in COVID-19 hotspot regions in Windsor-Essex are now eligible to book a vaccine through the health unit’s booking system.
The hotspot regions in Windsor-Essex include those with addresses starting with the postal codes N8X, N8Y, N9A, N9B, N9C, N8H, and N9Y.
The Windsor Essex County Health Unit system eligibility has also been expanded to include anyone 40 and older in the at-risk medical condition category as diagnosed by a healthcare provider. This includes individuals with immune deficiencies, heart disease, liver disease, and all types of cancer. A full list can be found on wevax.ca.
Other vaccine eligibility criteria for mass vaccination sites include health care workers, licensed child care employees, anyone in the high or highest risk health category, and residents 60 and older.
To book an appointment at a mass vaccination site in Windsor-Essex visit wevax.ca.
Pharmacies in Windsor-Essex are also vaccinating residents 40 and older with the AstraZeneca vaccine.
"We do not have a lot of vaccines in our pharmacies so people are getting vaccinated and taking the first opportunity," said CEO and Chief Nursing Officer Theresa Marentette. "Right now they are using the remainder of what they have with AstraZeneca and it's not a lot in Windsor and Essex County. So people are encouraged to keep trying to get that dose of vaccine."
Over 141,544 residents in Windsor-Essex have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
On Tuesday, the health unit reported 47 new cases of COVID-19. Among the new infections, 25 are close contacts of confirmed cases, five are community-acquired, and one is outbreak-related. The health unit continues to investigate 16 of the cases.
There are 482 active cases in the community and 149 of those involve variants of concern.
The health unit also reported an additional death connected to the virus. A man in his 50s passed away contracting COVID-19. There have been 414 deaths in the region due to COVID-19.