New Covid-19 case cluster linked to students and social gatherings

Region of Waterloo Public Health is reminding the community to practice health and safety guidelines after more than two dozen COVID-19 cases, one identified as a variant of concern, were linked to indoor social gatherings.

A number of those cases involve university students who attended gatherings held off-campus, officials said.

Public health said the gatherings happened between March 4 and 7 at three private residences. Individuals were in close contact for long periods of time without physical distancing or wearing masks, officials said.

Officials said there are 23 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one probable case linked to the events. One of the initial cases screened positive for a variant of concern.

"Both the nature of the exposures and variant of concern have contributed to the high transmission rate within this cluster," said public health officials in a release on Thursday.

Public health officials said an additional 19 people have been identified as high risk contacts.

University connections

Public health said a number of individuals confirmed to have tested positive have connections to both Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo.

Statements published Thursday from both schools confirm some of the cases involve university students.

Officials said, as a result, on-campus transmission has occurred at UW, where an outbreak has been declared at Claudette Millar Hall with two cases identified.

"Now is not the time to let your guard down. Whether you are a student living on campus, in private accommodation or even if you are an employee — please continue to avoid gathering with people you don't live with," said UW's director of safety office in the statement to students. 

The statement said many of the students linked to the cluster of cases live in private residences and haven't visited the campus.

Meanwhile, Laurier is considering consequences for students who have violated provincial laws and "put the health and safety of others at risk," as stated in a release Thursday.

"It is disappointing to learn that some students have been putting themselves, their friends and families at risk by attending off-campus gatherings," Ivan Joseph, vice-president of student affairs at Laurier, said in the release. "This is unacceptable behaviour that puts the health of friends, roommates, family, and the broader community at risk."

Joseph said eight students have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two weeks. Two of them live off-campus and six are living on-campus and isolating in a separate building. It's unclear whether those numbers are directly linked to the cluster reported Thursday.

Safety message 

"Waterloo region remains in a precarious position and we are not immune to rapid acceleration of cases seen in other communities across Ontario," Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said in the release.

"This cluster of cases illustrates that it is essential that all residents continue to limit their mobility, limit their close contacts, and avoid social gatherings to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community."

Public health is advising residents to avoid social gatherings with anyone not in their immediate household, limit non-essential trips, avoid enclosed, poorly ventilated and crowded spaces, as well as adhering to face covering and physical distancing rules.

As of Wednesday morning, there have been 229 variant cases identified in the region, with 17 detected as the B117 variant first discovered in the U.K.