43 new cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region
What you need to know about COVID-19 in Waterloo region on May 5
There are 43 new COVID-19 cases in Waterloo region as of Tuesday, new numbers from public health show.
The number of cases rose to 860 on Tuesday from the 817 reported on Monday. The region is reporting both confirmed and presumptive cases. Health officials have said presumptive cases are ones where a test has come back positive from a lab, but the results need to be confirmed.
Three more people died, according to the numbers reported Tuesday — for a total of 90. The three deaths were in long-term care homes: two were at Forest Heights Revera and one was at Lanark Heights, both in Kitchener.
The numbers also show 377 people have recovered from the novel coronavirus, up from 361 reported on Monday.
Also reported on Tuesday:
- There have been 7,515 tests done in the region.
- 38 people are in hospital. This does not include people moved from long-term care homes like Forest Heights into area hospitals.
- 263 of people presumed or confirmed positive are health-care workers, making up 31 per cent of cases.
- There are active outbreaks in 15 long-term care, group and retirement homes.
- 22 per cent of people have contracted the virus through community spread.
Public health officials say when a person is listed as getting the virus through community spread, it means it's unclear how they got the virus, but they know the person didn't contract COVID-19 though travel, a long-term care or retirement home outbreak or close contact.
The numbers are accurate as of 7 p.m. on Monday.
- COVID-19 | Cancellations, closures and changes in Waterloo region
- COVID-19 | Coverage from CBC Kitchener-Waterloo
Long-term home outbreaks
There are 15 active outbreaks at long-term care and retirement homes in Waterloo region. An outbreak is declared when just one person living at a home or working there tests positive for COVID-19.
Outbreaks are over at 11 long-term care and retirement homes.
See the full list of outbreaks.
New daytime drop-in centre opens
St. John's Kitchen in Kitchener opened on Tuesday. It offers daytime drop-in services to vulnerable people in the region.
The building will be open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and can have 20 people inside at a time, which allows people to keep physical distancing. As well, The Working Centre provides a daily lunch time pick-up. That has been moved to the parking lot of Worth a Second Look to provide space for the drop-in.
Anyone entering will be screened for COVID-19, the region said.
People who use the drop-in service will be able to access food, washrooms, showers, laundry, harm reduction supplies, and connections to emergency shelter and housing.
The region said a second drop-in is being planned for Cambridge and staff are looking for a location.
First case in a shelter
The region has seen its first case of COVID-19 in a person who was using a shelter.
Regional CAO Mike Murray told regional councillors about the case during a committee meeting on Tuesday.
"They are now located in the dedicated isolation space," Murray said. The region is using a local hotel for people who are homeless and need to isolate.
Cases rise to 312 in Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph
There are 312 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health region, up from 308 reported on Monday. The health unit is only reporting confirmed cases and not presumptive cases.
There are also 27 deaths in the area coverd by the health unit: Seven of those deaths have been in Guelph, two in Wellington County and 18 in Dufferin County.
There are nine people listed as being in the hospital in the region and four in intensive care.
As well, 135 cases have been marked as resolved.
Read more from today:
Chart: COVID-19 outbreaks at Waterloo region long-term care facilities