75% of people in Waterloo region have received 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Three-quarters of the population in Waterloo region have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, public health reported Tuesday.

It's actually the second time the region has reached the milestone.

The first time was on Oct. 26, but the population numbers were adjusted earlier this month to reflect more recent data from Statistics Canada, which increased the number of people living in Waterloo region by more than 16,000. The numbers also now include university and college students.

The region reported on Tuesday that 79.21 per cent of eligible people, those aged five and older, have received two  doses of COVID-19 vaccine. It would take more than 61,000 more doses for the region to reach 90 per cent of residents who had been double-inoculated. That's unlikely to happen until January 2022 or later, when children aged five to 11 will begin to be eligible for second doses.

21 new cases

There were 21 new COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo region on Tuesday.

Public health reported there were 231 active cases.

There were 11 people in the region's three hospitals who were infectious with the virus. There were also five people in the intensive care unit. The region notes that people in ICU may no longer be infectious with COVID-19 but continue to require specialized care.

There were no new deaths reported.

There were 10 active outbreaks in the region including one at a school, one at a child care and eight at workplaces:

• Blessed Sacrament Catholic Elementary School has 20 cases. The school is currently closed to in-person learning and the school board says it expects students will be able to return to the classroom on Dec. 6.
• A trades workplace with four cases.
• A career, skills and training facility with four cases.
• A transportation workplace with three cases.
• A chiropractic office with three cases.
• Two retail stores with two cases each.
• Jacob Hespeler Child Care Riverside with two cases.
• A hockey-related outbreak with two cases.
• A manufacturing workplace with two cases.

The Waterloo Region District School Board announced Tuesday afternoon there was also an outbreak at Cedar Creek Public School in Ayr. It involves one classroom and is not a school-wide outbreak, the board noted.

More clinics for children announced

Two school-based clinics have been planned for children this week:

• Dec. 2 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Peter's Catholic Elementary School in Cambridge.
• Dec. 4 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Queensmount Public School in Kitchener.

The region announced on Tuesday more school-based clinics have been scheduled for children aged five to 11.

After-school vaccination clinics will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the following days and locations:

• Dec. 2 at St. Peter Catholic Elementary School, located at 92 Avenue Road in Cambridge.
• Dec. 9 and 14 at Wilson Avenue Public School, located at 221 Wilson Avenue in Kitchener.
• Dec. 15 and 16 at Sunnyside Public School, located at 1042 Weber Street E. in Kitchener.

Full-day school vaccination clinics will run from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on the following days and locations:

• Dec. 4 at Queensmount Public School, located at 21 Westmount Road in Kitchener.
• Dec. 19 and 20 at St. Bernadette Catholic School, located at 245 Lorne Avenue in Kitchener.
• Dec. 21 and 22 at St. Anne Catholic School, located at 127 Elgin St. N. in Cambridge.
• Dec. 23 at Linwood Public School, located at 50 Pine Street in Linwood.

Parents, guardians, older siblings and family members can "catch up up on a first or second dose" at these clinics as well, the region said in a release. These are not walk-in clinics and people will need to make an appointment through the region's website.

Sensory-friendly clinics

The region also announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with KidsAbility to offer sensory-friendly vaccination clinics for families of children who require them.

These clinics must be booked by contacting public health directly, by email at publichealth@regionofwaterloo.ca or phone at 519-575-4400. The clinics will be held at KidsAbility locations in Waterloo and Cambridge.

Vickie Murray, lead of the region's vaccine roll out, said in a release that the region's clinics can accommodate the needs of most children but "KidsAbility already has a relationship with many of the families who will benefit from the safe space and added support they are able to offer."