Based on current case rates, Windsor's Medical Officer of Health expects the region will be put in the red level on the provincial COVID-19 Response Framework when the stay-at-home order is lifted next week.
On Monday, the provincial government announced the stay-at-home order is being extended until February 16 for the majority of the province. Once the order is lifted, the province will use local indicators like case rates and hospitalizations to determine which businesses can reopen and what regulations will be in place.
"The case rates are already suggesting that we are still in the high red-zone and we're nowhere close to yellow or green zones," said Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed.
While in the red level, restaurants can reopen with a maximum of 10 people seated indoors, gyms can reopen with capacity limits, and retail stores can open with 50% capacity. Salons are also allowed to reopen while in the red level, however other personal care services that require patrons to remove their masks are still prohibited.
It's unclear when the province will announce where each region will be placed on the framework.
On Tuesday, the Windsor Essex County Health Unit reported 19 new cases of COVID-19 in the community.
There are currently 314 known active cases in Windsor-Essex. Local hospitals are treating 53 people with COVID-19 and 12 of those are in the intensive care unit.
The health unit also reported two more deaths in the community connected to COVID-19. A man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s passed away after contracting the virus.
