Further declines in COVID-19 case rates and positivity rates

Children and youth continue to suffer the brunt of COVID-19 in Windsor-Essex, but key indicators suggest the virus is starting to lose its grip on the region.

This week’s epidemiological summary shows a significant drop in the case rate. The percentage of positive tests coming back from the lab is dropping and the virus is not replicating in the community with the same strength it has.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s weekly report shows there were 28 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population last week. This is down from 47.7 just seven days ago.

Twenty-nine percent of all cases reported in the past two weeks were in people under the age of 20. People aged 20 to 29 make up 22 percent.

Fewer and fewer tests are coming back positive. The percent positivity rate for last week is 3.6 percent, down 0.4 percentage point from 4 percent last week.

Another key indicator, the virus’s replication rate, fell from 0.91 last week to 0.81. A replication rate of less than one indicates the spread of COVID-19 is weakening.

The region’s immunization rate also continues to increase, albeit slowly. The number of doses administered last week fell to 4,007 from 4,416 the previous week.

The summary showed that vaccination rates remain low for younger cohorts. Only 66.4% of 18 to 24 year olds are fully immunized, and only 68.5% of 12 to 17 year olds.

More than 81 percent of all residents eligible for the vaccine received two doses.

On Thursday, the health unit reported 17 new infections. Six were acquired in the community. The same number is the result of close contact and five are still under investigation.

There are now 173 active cases in Windsor-Essex, 109 of which involve a worrying variant.

In Ontario, there are 3,018 active cases. The province reported three more deaths and 409 new infections on Thursday.