COVID-19 trends 'relatively stable' in Waterloo region with 46 new cases reported Friday

Region of Waterloo Public Health reported 46 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.

That brings the total number of cases so far in March to 502 and since the start of the pandemic to 11,204.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said the region remains in the "red" or control zone of the provincial COVID-19 colour-coded framework.

"Our indicators are still high but they are relatively stable," Dr. Wang said during a media briefing Friday, but warned it wouldn't take much for that to change.

"Our community is not immune to the possibility of rapidly accelerating case rates, as other communities are seeing in Ontario," Wang said. She noted that provincially, case rates are rising and 24 out of 34 public health units have seen an increase in case rates in last two weeks and 14 of those have seen growth of more than 30 per cent.

The region had 330 active cases with 29 people in hospital and seven in the intensive care unit. There were no new deaths reported Friday in the region.

There are now 188 cases where there are variants of concern of the virus with 15 confirmed to be the B117 variant first discovered in the U.K.

Wang said public health officials expect to see a "continual increase" in variant cases.

20 active outbreaks

Public health reported there were 20 active outbreaks in the region with five at long-term care and retirement homes.

There were two outbreaks in schools:

• Courtland Avenue Public School in Kitchener with two cases.
• Sunnyside Public School in Kitchener with two cases.
• Howard Robertson Public School in Kitchener.

The outbreak at Howard Robertson Public School is not listed on the region's dashboard but was announced by the Waterloo Region District School Board. The board said another two cases, both students, are in the same cohort as a case reported last month. 

The cohort has already been sent home and no additional staff or students are required to isolate.

The other outbreaks were:

• Five in congregate care settings: One with 127 cases over multiple locations, one with 36 cases with one death, one with 11 cases, one with four cases and one with a single case.
• Four in hospitals: Two at Grand River Hospital, one at Cambridge Memorial Hospital and one at St. Mary's General Hospital.
• One at Laurelwood Retirement Residence, an independent living facility, with 15 cases on people living there, three in staff and three deaths.
• EduKids Childcare Centre with 10 cases.
• One at a manufacturing workplace with two cases.
• One at a place of worship linked to a wedding with 11 cases.

Work of public health

Wang credited public health staff for the "unseen work" they do to monitor the virus in the community.

She noted for the time period between February 22 to March 7, staff:

• Managed 2739 contacts.
• Monitored 117 workplaces, which was up from 74 in the two weeks prior.
• Monitored 89 school or child care groups or cohorts, up from 48 in the two weeks before.
• Investigated 75 long-term care, retirement homes and congregate care settings, up from 63 in the two weeks before.

"Case contact and outbreak management continue to be fundamentally important to controlling spread and are much more effective when people are limiting their non-essential social interactions and trips outside the home," Wang said.

Vaccines alone won't avert 'third wave'

"We continue to be in a risky period. While our indicators are relatively stable, the variants are increasing provincially and locally and most health unit areas have started to experience an increase to their rates.

Wand also noted that while there are now four vaccines approved and vaccination efforts in the region are ramping up, "there will not be enough supply coming in the next few weeks to avert a third wave. Therefore, we need to keep up with our strict public health practices."

"The measures aren't easy but they are effective and your actions have, and are continuing, to make a difference," she added, but said there's also hope. "The light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter every day."