'Pandemics end': Words of hope from Waterloo region officials as new year approaches

As COVID-19 cases rise in Waterloo region, spurred on by the Omicron variant, businesses have faced new restrictions and people have been asked to curb plans to gather for holiday parties and family events.

It may feel like dark days for some and this week, Waterloo region officials offered words of hope to help people.

Regional Chair Karen Redman said no one wanted to see another wave of COVID-19 at this stage in the pandemic. But she says witnessing how the community has come together to help one another has been inspiring.

"Our community, every sector, steps up," Redman said Wednesday during a media briefing.

That includes businesses, chambers of commerce, leaders in the faith communities who reached out to specific parts of the region, she said, "that we know we're more severely impacted" by the virus as well as pharmacists and primary care doctors who helped with vaccination efforts.

"It's easy to lose sight of how far we've come because we're all looking at that light at the end of the tunnel when we can say this is behind us," Redman said. 

People shouldn't lose hope, she added.

"Pandemics end. There will be an end to this pandemic," she said.

'Everything that we do counts'

At times, the pandemic has been described as a marathon. While this is a challenging time, the region's medical officer of health says it's important to remember people have come a long way.

"We may not be at the finish line yet, but we are also not back at the beginning," Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said during Wednesday's briefing.

"Everything that we do counts. It does," Wang said.

"We may not see it right away, but [our response] has given us more protection than we would otherwise have had, and it will continue to do that," she said.

"Every step we take helps us come closer to the end of the pandemic," Wang added. "It is tough times, but we will get through it together."

1 million doses in arms

For Vickie Murray, the bright spot in the past week was that the region passed a massive milestone: More than one million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Waterloo region.

Murray, who is the lead for the region's vaccine roll out, said she remembers the day — Dec. 21, 2020 — when the first doses of the vaccine arrived at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener and the first shot was administered.

"The celebration of having the vaccine here and finally getting to roll that out was momentous," she said.

She said it can be hard in the middle of a tough time, "and it feels never ending" but people should take a step back to look at the successes and how far the community has come in the last 20 months.

"Maybe those are the celebrations that we need to focus on this holiday season because it's something we've all done together," she said.