4 Laurier students test positive for COVID-19, university says

Four Wilfrid Laurier University students have tested positive for COVID-19, the school says.

All four students are currently in quarantine and none live in campus residences, the university noted in a statement on its website Sunday.

The students were not named to protect their privacy. Two of the cases are being managed by Region of Waterloo Public Health while the other two are being managed by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health, the university said.

The university did not say if the four cases are linked or how the students may have contracted the virus, but university president Deborah MacLatchy noted in the release that "we're counting on our students to do their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by avoiding gatherings and following public health guidelines."

The university statement noted it "has in place rigorous protocols for sanitizing and cleaning campus areas since the beginning of the pandemic."

The cases come after more than 100 people gathered at a party in Waterloo earlier this month and three people were ticketed. There have also been reports of a large outbreak at Western University in London, which public health officials say may be linked to social gatherings by students.

It also comes as Waterloo city council is set to debate whether to impose its nuisance bylaw for homecoming weekend, set for Sept. 25 and 27, even though nearly all events will be held online.

"Students are still gathering for parties and that's why the staff are requesting that the noise bylaw be extended, just to be in place for this weekend as well," uptown Waterloo councillor Tenille Bonoguore told CBC News on Sunday.

On Saturday, the province changed how many people can gather, lowing the numbers to 10 for an indoor event and 25 for an outdoor event.