Waterloo region 'a speeding train' to COVID-19 red zone: Dr. Wang

The rapidly rising COVID-19 cases in Waterloo region is like a speeding train heading right for the "red zone" of the province's framework on addressing the virus, the region's top public health official says.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's acting medical officer of health, said new cases are increasing rapidly and at a concerning rate.

"We are in a serious situation in Waterloo region," she said while addressing regional councillors during a special board of health meeting Monday afternoon. "We are speeding fully into the 'red' zone. If we don't make major changes now, we will continue towards the lockdown zone."

Wang said people in the region need to "dramatically reduce our social interactions." That means:

1. Stay home and only go out for essential purposes such as work, school, getting groceries, keeping a medical appointment or getting essential, physical exercise.
2. We need to limit social interactions to only people in our own households, which can include essential caregivers or essential supports for someone living alone.

"We need to avoid social interactions with friends, with co-workers when not at work and with extended family outside of our households," Wang said.

She asked all people in the region to "help our community" through personal actions.

"If we choose to act now before it gets worse, we can mitigate the period of time we will be under significant restrictions," she said.

"Because of the choices we've already made, which are being reflected in our rates today, we will undergo a difficult period of restrictions."

She said the trajectory of new cases is already in motion "like that of a speeding train" to the red zone "and beyond."

"We can all make a choice starting today to slow that train, stop it and make it start going in the opposite direction towards green," Wang said.

53 new cases

Region of Waterloo Public Health is reporting 53 new cases of COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon.

There are 357 active cases with 11 people listed as being in hospital. There is also one new death reported, bringing the total number of people who have died from COVID-19 since March to 122.

It comes after a weekend where the region reported 129 new cases. The region was moved to the "orange" or "restrict" level in the provincial COVID-19 framework, meaning there are new rules around going to restaurants, malls, movie theatres and on social gatherings.

Officials also reported 24 active outbreaks in the region, six of which are in long-term care or retirement homes.

Of the 2,759 cases reported in the region since March, 2,280, or 83 per cent, have been marked as resolved. The region's testing partners have done more than 187,700 tests.

Ontario reported another 1,487 cases of COVID-19 on Monday.

Restaurant outbreak grows

The region reported 24 active outbreaks as of Monday.

Six of them are at long-term care and retirement homes. In five of those homes, a single staff member has tested positive for the virus but so far, no one living in the homes has tested positive. 

At Luther Village in the Park, Sunshine Centre in Waterloo, there are two cases in people living at the home and one case in a person working at the facility.

As well, an outbreak linked to Kitchener's Algarve Restaurant has grown to 26 cases. Public health is advising anyone who may have gone to the restaurant, located at 248 Stirling Avenue S., between Oct. 28 to Nov. 4, that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

There is also an outbreak at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. The outbreak on Wing B, Level 4, Medicine B Unit was declared on Friday.

"As a result of this declaration, no visitors will be permitted and this will continue until there are no new cases for 14 days," the hospital said.

24 active outbreaks

The other outbreaks include:

• Four outbreaks at congregate settings where there are three cases at one location, two cases at one location and one case each at two locations.
• There are nine cases at an outbreak at a manufacturing facility.
• There are nine cases linked to a sports and fitness facility. The region does not name businesses unless there is a risk to the general public.
• There are three outbreaks at office settings: two with two cases and one with four cases.
• There are two outbreaks at "trades and related services" businesses with two cases each.
• There are three outbreaks on construction sites: one with two cases, one with three cases and one with six cases.
• There's one outbreak at a food and beverage service workplace with three cases.
• There's one outbreak at a food processing workplace with three cases.
• There's one outbreak at a second manufacturing facility with three cases.
• There's one outbreak linked to the University of Waterloo with four cases.
• One outbreak is linked to a wedding. There are 24 cases in the outbreak, although public health has advised the majority of the people live outside the region.

There are currently no elementary or public schools or child care centres in outbreak.