4 new deaths from COVID-19 reported in Waterloo region

Four more people have died from COVID-19 in Waterloo region, numbers released Tuesday show. Two of the deaths were in long-term care homes.

What you need to know about COVID-19 in Waterloo region on April 21

Kate Bueckert · CBC News · Posted: Apr 21, 2020 11:09 AM EDT | Last Updated: April 21, 2020

A mural featuring healthcare workers is pictured on a street in Vancouver. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

Four more people have died from COVID-19 in Waterloo region, bringing the total number of deaths to 31.

Two of the deaths were in long-term care homes: One at Trinity Village in Kitchener and one at Forest Heights Revera in Kitchener.

Forest Heights has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus. The home has 103 residents and 41 staff members who have tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 12 people have died at the home.

Tuesday afternoon, the home announced it will be moving approximately 40 residents to the three regional hospitals as a way to ease the burden on staff.

Trinity Village also recently saw a spike in cases since the province expanded testing to all residents of long-term care homes. The home has 16 residents and 24 staff who have tested positive. This is the home's first death.

There are now 528 confirmed or presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region, according to numbers from Region of Waterloo Public Health released Tuesday morning. That's up from 503 on Monday.

Public health officials said on Monday that the rise in cases in the region is due largely to expanded testing at the region's long-term care and retirement homes.

All residents in homes are now being tested and not all the results are back yet, the region's acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said.

There are also now 184 resolved cases in the region, up from 169 resolved cases reported on Sunday.

The numbers also showed:

4,259 tests have been done.
24 people are in hospital.
169 confirmed or presumptive cases are healthcare workers, making up 32 per cent of all cases.
There are active outbreaks at 12 long-term care facilities.

The numbers reported by public health each morning are accurate as of 7 p.m. the night before.

Testing limited, majority of cases women

The region is not currently testing everyone with symptoms for COVID-19. Public health has said there are certain groups who are prioritized for testing including health-care workers, essential workers, hospital patients and people living and working in long-term care homes.

The region says negative test results are also no longer being reported on its website because the province is no longer providing information about the negative results.

Of those tested, the majority of cases in Waterloo region, 64 per cent, are women.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's acting medical officer of health, says she believes it's because many essential workers are women.

"I believe it's a reflection of the preponderance of women in the health care field and also greater numbers of women that are older in the long-term care homes and retirement homes," she said during Monday's media briefing.

Outbreaks at region's long-term care homes

There are 12 active outbreaks at long-term care homes in Waterloo region, although there are cases in 17 homes.

The homes that have active outbreaks include:

Forest Heights Revera in Kitchener where 103 residents and 41 staff have tested positive for COVID-19. As well, 12 people have died.
Highview Residences in Kitchener where 14 residents and 11 staff have tested positive. Six people have died.
Trinity Village in Kitchener where 16 residents and 24 staff have tested positive. One person has died.
Lanark Heights in Kitchener where seven residents and five staff members have tested positive. One person has died.
The Village at University Gates in Waterloo where one resident and two staff members have tested positive. One person has died.
A.R. Goudie in Kitchener where nine residents and six staff have tested positive.
Victoria Place in Kitchener where one resident has tested positive.
Marian Residence in Cambridge where one staff member has tested positive.
The Village of Winston Park in Kitchener where one staff member has tested positive.
Briarfield Gardens in Kitchener where one staff member has tested positive.
Granite Landing in Cambridge where one staff member has tested positive.
St. Andrew's Terrace in Cambridge where one staff member has tested positive.

Outbreaks were declared over at St. Luke's Place in Cambridge and Millwood Manor in Kitchener as of Monday evening. Outbreaks have also been declared over at Chartwell Clair Hills in Waterloo and Chartwell Westmount and Sunnyside Home, both in Kitchener.

89 cases in Guelph

Guelph has added one more confirmed case of COVID-19 with the total number of cases reaching 89 in the city, new numbers from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health show.

There have been five deaths in the city from the virus. There are six people in hospital and two in intensive care. As well, 30 cases have been marked as resolved.

In Wellington County, there are 30 confirmed cases and two people have died. Two people are in intensive care and 11 cases have been marked as resolved.

Throughout the area covered by the health unit, there are 199 confirmed cases and 12 deaths. There have also been 64 cases marked as resolved.

Guelph parks, facilities to remain closed

The City of Guelph said Tuesday that all city facilities, including city hall, courts, libraries, museums, parks, arenas and leash-free areas will remain closed until the city lifts its state of emergency.

Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie declared a state of emergency on March 26. There is no set date for the state of emergency to end.

"The city will reopen facilities and restore programs and services based on advice from Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health and direction from the Province of Ontario," a city release said.

The city's waste facilities will also remain closed to the public. Because of that, the city has extended yard waste pickup until June and large items can be collected by the city by booking a pickup time and paying a fee depending on the item.

The city noted parks are open for walk through access only and people "can't stay and play."

22 cases in Stratford

The number of cases in Stratford has risen by one case to 22, Huron-Perth Public Health reported Tuesday. Three people have died in the city and one person has recovered.

Two more staff members at Greenwood Court in Stratford have also tested positive for COVID-19. There are six residents and now a total of seven staff members who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Assessment clinic opens in Mount Forest

A COVID-19 assessment clinic in Mount Forest opened Tuesday.

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health said the clinic will be run out of the Mount Forest Sportsplex from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with a break between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.) from Tuesday to Saturday.

Public health reminded people the general public is not being tested, and the clinic is for essential and critical workers as well as the people who live with them and "priority populations."