7 people have now died in Waterloo region from COVID-19

Kate Bueckert | CBC News | Posted: April 8, 2020 2:59 PM | Last Updated: April 8, 2020

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Caption: There are now 220 cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region with seven deaths, public health reported Wednesday. Health care workers make up 29 per cent of positive cases, both because they work on the front lines and are a priority testing group. (CBC)

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Seven people have died from COVID-19 in Waterloo region, new numbers released Wednesday show.

In an update Wednesday morning, the region's acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said the deaths were two women and one male between the ages of 70 and 90. All three had been in hospital before their deaths and had underlying health conditions.

There are now 220 confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region, an increase of 13 since Tuesday.

The new numbers reported by Region of Waterloo Public Health on Wednesday showed:

There have been 2,635 tests done.
1,999 tests have come back negative.
416 people are awaiting test results.
64 cases have been marked as resolved.
30 people are in hospital.
64 cases (29 per cent) of people infected with COVID-19 are health care workers.

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Testing could change soon

Currently, not everyone with symptoms is tested for COVID-19. Region of Waterloo Public Health says it is prioritizing testing for healthcare workers, hospital patients and people in long-term care homes. That's been the directive of the province.

But Wang said on Wednesday they've been told that could change in the near future. She said the province has said the region will have access to more testing kits, labs are increasing their capacity to do testing and the province will also work on a new list of people who are prioritized for testing.

In the meantime, the region is doing the best it can to keep tabs on the coronavirus in the community.

"The testing is not optimal, that's for sure," Wang said. "That limited testing is not going to be able to provide us with the full picture that would be ideal."

That said, Wang said public health uses other indicators such as how many people are hospitalized and how many people die as a way to track the virus.

So far, the numbers of those who need increased healthcare has been manageable, she says.

"The hospitals continue to work very hard to increase their capacity in anticipation of future needs," she said. "So with all those things together, we get a picture, but of course, if we could do more testing, it would be better."

People experiencing mild symptoms are being asked to stay home and self-isolate.

People who do not have symptoms may go out for essentials but are asked to keep a physical distance of at least two metres between themselves and other people who are not members of their household.

Long-term care home outbreaks

There are also nine outbreaks at long-term care homes in Waterloo region. They are:

Highview Residences in Kitchener where 10 residents and one staff member tested positive. Two people have died at the home.
Sunnyside Home in Kitchener where four staff members have tested positive.
Forest Heights Revera in Kitchener where 15 residents and three staff members have tested positive.
St. Luke's Place in Cambridge where one staff member has tested positive.
The Village at University Gates in Waterloo where one resident and one staff member has tested positive.
Chartwell Westmount LTC in Kitchener where one staff member has tested positive.
Millwood Manor in Kitchener where one resident has tested positive.
Lanark Heights LTC in Kitchener where one resident has tested positive.
St. Andrew's Terrace LTC in Cambridge where one staff member has tested positive.

Public health officials said an outbreak is declared once a single case tests positive in a long-term care facility.

55 cases in Guelph

There are currently 55 cases in Guelph and 114 cases in the area covered by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.

There are also 35 cases in Dufferin County, 17 in Wellington County and six cases are not yet assigned a location.

Numbers released by public health indicate there are seven people in hospital and five in intensive care.

There has been one death in Guelph and 18 cases have been marked as resolved.

There are also outbreaks at several long-term care facilities and hospitals:

Dufferin Oaks in Shelburne has three residents and four staff members who have tested positive.
Shelburne Residence has three residents who have tested positive.
Guelph General Hospital has six patients and 25 staff members who have tested positive.
Headwaters Health Centre in Orangeville has two patients and 14 staff members who have tested positive.
Homewood Health Centre has eight residents and three staff members who have tested positive.
Norfolk Manor in Guelph has 17 residents and one staff member who have tested positive.
St. Joseph's in Guelph has one patient and three staff members who have tested positive.
Wellington Terrace in Fergus has one staff member who has tested positive.