The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reports its first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the region.
"The emergence of Omicron serves as a reminder of how quickly things continue to change during the pandemic. As we fully expect Omicron will become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the coming weeks the importance of getting vaccinated with first, second, or third doses as soon as possible cannot be over-emphasized. If you have not been fully vaccinated, please do so as soon as possible. If you are eligible for a booster dose, please book your appointment as soon as possible to provide yourself with this extra layer of protection,” said WECHU CEO Nicole Dupuis.
It also announced the death of a woman in her 20s from the virus. She was one of three fatalities in the past 24 hours. The other two were men in their 60s and 70s. They were among five deaths province-wide.
So far, there is just one Omicron case. That will likely change quickly. On Tuesday, Acting Medical Officer of Health Doctor Shanker Nesathurai said health officials expect it to become the dominant strain in Ontario by the end of the month.
Scientists are still learning about the new strain, but Nesathurai said it appears to cause mild to moderate illness. It is also much more transmissible than past strains like Delta.
The health unit added another 44 infections of COVID-19 to its caseload on Tuesday. Forty-five more people tested positive, but public health officials removed one case after a routine data cleanup.
Seven of the new infections resulted from transmission in the community, and three are related to an outbreak. Another 22 people caught the virus from close contact with someone the health unit is already tracking, and 13 are under investigation.
As of Tuesday morning, 597 area residents had active cases, a decrease of 24 in the past day. Thirty-four 34 people are in the hospital.
Outbreaks ended at three schools. St. John Vianney Catholic Elementary, Centennial Central Public School, and Frank W. Begley Public School are off the list.
However, outbreaks continue at seven more; Hugh Beaton Public, Margaret D. Bennie Public, Dr. David Suzuki Public, Stella Maris Catholic Elementary, St. Anne French Immersion Catholic Elementary, Our Lady of Annunciation Catholic Elementary, and Leamington District Secondary School.
There are also outbreaks at three retirement or long-term care homes. Seven residents and two staff members at Chartwell Royal Oak have the virus. Two staff and two residents have it at Country Village Health Care, and so far, officials are still counting cases at Sun Parlour Home.
Sixteen workplaces have outbreaks, and there are six in the community.
Ontario reported 1,429 new cases on Tuesday and there are 12,032 active cases across the province.