Public health officials have declared a COVID-19 outbreak at a Chatham retirement home.
As of Friday, there were 11 cases reported at Maple City Retirement Residence, bumping the number of ongoing outbreaks in the community to three.
Fifty-five new cases were listed on Friday, with the seven-day rolling average sitting at 17 new cases daily, but no new deaths were reported.
Nineteen people were in hospital, with five being primarily treated for COVID-19, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance reported. Two were in intensive care but not being primarily treated for the virus.
This week, Chatham-Kent public health officially moved its vaccination clinic from the John D. Bradley Center site to 730 Richmond St., the former YA Canada building.
This will now be the municipality’s main vaccination site, serving all eligible residents five and older beginning this coming aged Thursday.
It had operated out of the Bradley Center for almost a full year.
“I think everybody that has wanted to be vaccinated has had no trouble getting vaccinated,” said Dr. David Colby, Chatham-Kent’s medical officer of health. “We’ve had many positive comments about our accessibility. We’ve had an ongoing central vaccination clinic, plus pop-up clinics all over the municipality.”
As for how many appointments there will be at the new site, Colby added the health unit will tailor its availability to meet the demand within the community.
“We’re concentrating mainly on third doses for the previously vaccinated now,” he said.
Approximately 88.5 per cent of adults in Chatham-Kent have received their first dose, 86.5 per cent have had two and 56.2 per cent have been boosted. Vaccination rates are slightly lower for children, but not significantly, according to data on the public health website.
Provincially on Friday, 1,003 people were listed as hospitalized. A total of 49 per cent were admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 and 51 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive.
There are 297 people in intensive care. A total of 76 per cent of patients were admitted for COVID-19, while 24 per cent were admitted for other reasons but have tested positive.
There were 2,427 new cases of COVID-19.