Kitchener-Waterloo

There are 172 cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region as of Sunday

New numbers released Sunday morning shows there are 172 cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region.

6 long-term care homes in region have outbreaks

Two people keep a physical distance from each other during a morning walk through a Guelph, Ont., park on Friday. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)

There are 172 cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region, up from 158 reported on Saturday.

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

  • There have been 2,426 tests done.
  • 1,809 tests have come back negative.
  • 445 people are awaiting test results.
  • 21 people are in the hospital.
  • 29 cases are marked as resolved.
  • 40 cases involve healthcare workers. That's 23 per cent of all cases in the region.

There have been three deaths in Waterloo region: a man in his 40s, a man in his 50s and an 88-year-old man who lived in a long-term care facility.

There has also been one death in Guelph, a man in his 80s.

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

  • Highview Residences in Kitchener where four residents and one staff member have tested positive. One person has died at the home.
  • Sunnyside Home in Kitchener where two staff members have tested positive.
  • Forest Heights Revera in Kitchener where seven residents 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 staff member has tested positive.
  • Chartwell Westmount LTC in Kitchener where one staff member has tested positive.

Public health officials said an outbreak is declared when there's a single case in a long-term care facility.

Case and testing numbers are updated daily on the region's website. Region of Waterloo Public Health officials are expected to give an update to media on local cases on Monday morning.

Who gets tested?

Region of Waterloo Public Health is not testing everyone with symptoms. Officials have said they are reserving testing for priority cases, including healthcare workers, hospital patients and people in long-term care facilities.

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.

6 positive cases at Grand Valley Institution

There are now six positive cases of COVID-19 at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener.

Correctional Service Canada updates case numbers for people in federal prisons on its website. It also notes there have been 31 tests done at Grand Valley, 24 of which have been negative. One person is awaiting test results.

The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers says one unit housing of about 40 inmates in the 250 capacity prison is in lockdown, meaning inmates are being kept in their cells. One prison guard has also tested positive for the virus.

46 cases in Guelph

Numbers reported by Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health late Sunday show there were 93 cases in the health unit's coverage area. This is down from the 103 cases reported earlier in the day.

At least 46 cases are in Guelph. The report online lists there being 14 cases in Wellington County and 28 in Dufferin County (down from 31 reported on Sunday). Five cases are not yet listed under a location.

There are eight people in hospital with four in the intensive care unit. One person has died. Ten cases have been marked as resolved.

There were six long-term care facilities listed as having a COVID-19 outbreak: 

  • Dufferin Oaks in Shelburne.
  • Headwaters Health Care in Orangeville.
  • Guelph General Hospital.
  • Homewood Health Centre in Guelph.
  • Norfolk Manor in Guelph.
  • St. Joseph's Health Centre in Guelph.

The numbers released on Sunday by public health indicated that 28 of the cases are from "institutional outbreak." Nine are related to travel, eight are from community spread and three are cases where people had close contact with someone else who had COVID-19. There are also 55 cases where the way the person contracted the virus hasn't been determined yet.

Basketball player fined

A basketball player in Kitchener was fined $750 after refusing to leave a basketball court on Saturday. 

Bylaw officers tried several times to get the person to leave before issuing a fine, city staff said.

Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic called on people to stay home.

"It's hard because there's so many people who are making the necessary sacrifices so that we flatten the curve," he said. "And then there are those who seem to not get it."

Read more from today

Clarifications

  • Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health's website updated Sunday night to reflect 93 cases, not 103 cases.
    Apr 06, 2020 9:07 AM ET