Hospitalizations, ICU admissions rise as 65 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Waterloo region Monday

There were 65 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Waterloo region as local hospitals admitted more patients and saw a jump of nine people admitted to the intensive care unit.

The number of people in hospital with the virus rose to 39 on Monday from 33 on Sunday.

The number of people in the ICU rose to 22 on Monday, up from 13 on Sunday.

The 65 new cases reported Monday by public health brings the total in April to 1,346 and since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to 13,296. 

There were 608 active cases as of Monday, up from 584. 

There were no new deaths reported. The total number of people in the region who have died after contracting the virus is 247.

Ontario reported 4,447 cases of COVID-19 and 19 more deaths of people with the illness on Monday. It was the sixth straight day of more than 4,000 new infections in the province. 

Variant cases rise

The number of cases that have screened positive for a variant of concern in the region rose to 1,180 on Monday, up from 1,149 on Sunday.

There are 40 cases confirmed to be the B117 variant, which was first detected in the U.K.

There is a single case each confirmed for two other variants: the B1351 first detected in South Africa and the P1 variant first found in Brazil.

22 active outbreaks

There are 22 active outbreaks in the region with one at a long-term care home where two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.

There are six outbreaks in schools:

• St. Bernadette Catholic School in Kitchener with three cases.
• St. Anne Catholic Elementary School in Cambridge with three cases.
• Highland Public School in Cambridge with three cases.
• St. John's Kilmarnock School in Breslau with two cases.
• Queensmount Public School in Kitchener with two cases.
• Sunnyside Public School in Kitchener with two cases.

There were 10 outbreaks at workplaces:

• One at a manufacturing workplace with seven cases.
• One at a construction site with four cases.
• One at a retail store with five cases.
• Two at trades services: One with three cases, one with two cases.
• One at a food processor with three cases.
• One at a food and beverage services workplace with three cases.
• One at an office with two cases.
• One at a trucking company with two cases.
• One at a automobile sales and service business with two cases.

The other outbreaks include:

• Three in congregate settings: One with four cases and two with a single case each.
• One at a child care centre YMCA Brigadoon with six cases.
• One at St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener.

28% of population has first dose

The region's vaccine dashboard reports 28.37 per cent of eligible people in the region have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

There have been 147,440 vaccine doses administered and 15,738 people are fully vaccinated.

Local vaccine shortages, however, means the region temporarily closed some vaccination clinics.

As of Tuesday, people aged 40 and up will be able to access the AstraZeneca vaccine through some local pharmacies and doctors offices.