An alert has been issued due to a high number of opioid-related emergency department visits in Windsor-Essex.
The Windsor-Essex Community Opioid and Substance Strategy issued the alert after the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s surveillance and monitoring system identified an increase in opioid-related Emergency Department visits and Emergency Medical Service calls between Dec. 28, 2021 and Jan. 3, 2022.
Over the seven-day period, eight opioid overdoses visits were identified at Windsor Regional Hospital and Erie Shores Healthcare in Leamington, all of which involved fentanyl.
There were also ten non-overdose emergency department visits during that time, nine of which involved fentanyl.
Officials say this is a very high number of non-overdose emergency department visits in a short period of time and based on this information, a public alert is warranted.
Partners involved in the WECOSS, including the WECHU, Windsor Regional Hospital, Essex Windsor-EMS, Erie Shores Healthcare, and Police Services, continue to monitor this increase and are working to understand more about these reported cases.