More than 71% of people aged 12 and up fully vaccinated in Waterloo region

More than 71 per cent of people aged 12 and up have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Region of Waterloo reported Tuesday.

That's up from 68.3 per cent with both doses as of last Thursday. As well, 83 per cent of people have received at least a first dose, up from 82.7 per cent last Thursday.

The number of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 who have received their first dose now sits at 71.4 per cent, while 51.93 per cent have both doses.

This week and next week, special hockey hub-style clinics are being held at high schools in the region to encourage more young people to get their first and second doses before school starts in September.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's medical officer of health, said on Friday she would like to see 90 per cent of people eligible for the vaccine get it in order to protect those who can't.

New vaccine bus stops

The region announced one of the two vaccine buses will be making scheduled stops at malls and in Elmira this week:

• Wednesday at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The bus will be parked by Winners.
• Thursday in downtown Elmira from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday at the bus terminal at Fairview Mall in Kitchener from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The other bus will continue to stop in high-priority neighbourhoods. No appointments are necessary for people to get their first or second dose on either bus.

26 new cases over 2 days

There were 26 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Tuesday, covering two days. That's because Region of Waterloo Public Health does not report cases on holidays.

There were 16 cases on Sunday and six reported Monday, with four additional cases added to previous day totals.

There were no new deaths reported on Tuesday.

There were 17 people in the region's three hospitals who were infectious with the virus and nine people were in the intensive-care unit. The people in the ICU were not necessarily infectious, but did still require specialized care.

There were eight active outbreaks:

• Workplaces: Five.
• Hospital: Two.
• Child care/summer camp: One.

The outbreak at the Adventure4Change day camp rose to nine cases from seven last week.

Varsity athletes told to get vaccinated

Varsity athletes at the University of Guelph have been told they need to be fully vaccinated to take part in their sport this upcoming school year.

Gwen Chapman, provost and vice-president (academic) at U of G, called it "an important and necessary step" to ensuring students are safe.

The Ontario University Athletics recently announced competitive sports would be allowed starting this fall. The OUA currently says on its website that it "continues to recommend that student-athletes, coaches, and all OUA stakeholders receive their vaccines when able to do so."

Officials at Wilfrid Laurier University told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo they are still in discussions about whether varsity athletes will need to be fully vaccinated.

A spokesperson said the school "is reviewing our COVID-19 processes and procedures for student-athletes. We will share further details once they are finalized."

The University of Waterloo says it, too, is considering next steps.

"While we are already requiring students living in our residences to provide proof of vaccination, the University of Waterloo is continuing to work with public-health authorities and experts to make sure our plans are in step with the challenges around us," a spokesperson said in a statement.

University of Guelph clinic to close

The vaccination clinic at the University of Guelph is set to close on Friday.

The university says more than 81,000 doses have been given at the clinic since it opened in March. The closure is part of others in the city winding down services as Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health moves to more pop-up vaccination clinics in higher-risk areas where uptake has been slower.

Sharmilla Rasheed, the university's vice-president (finance and operations), said in a release that the school was "very proud" to have played a role in helping people get vaccinated.