Community spread of COVID-19 ‘next big hurdle’
WATERLOO REGION — COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes are decreasing, but Waterloo Region officials warn that the next big hurdle will be curbing spread in the community.
“We won’t emerge from this lockdown suddenly immune to COVID-19. The vast majority of us will still remain susceptible,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman. “We must maintain a delicate balance of restarting the economy and keeping the virus at bay.”
Redman said that means “people have to continue to take responsibility for themselves.”
The Friday morning update by public health reported 1,152 confirmed COVID-19 cases, up 10 from the previous day. The total number of deaths remained at 115.
“Overall we’re in a much better place than we were during our peak in April, but we’re not out of the woods yet,” Wang said. “Our goal going forward is to keep the number of new infections low while we continue to gradually lift restrictions and open up our economy.”
Both emphasized the importance of not letting up on public health measures, including regular handwashing, wearing a mask and physical distancing.
“These measures will help protect our families, our friends, our neighbours,” Wang said. “We must continue to protect one another.”
She saw signs of that desire to protect others at the Black Lives Matter solidarity march in Kitchener on Wednesday, where many people were wearing masks.
However, she still urged anyone who attended in person to self-monitor for 14 days and get tested if they develop symptoms or are concerned about exposure.
People were not able to maintain physical distancing and even outdoors Wang said the risk is high with such a large gathering.
“Masks are not enough by themselves,” Wang said. “They help, but they’re not enough by themselves. The core thing that we need to do is physically distance. But at least there were a lot of masks.”
Of the current local COVID-19 cases, 927 are resolved, 110 are active and 13 are hospitalized.
Wang said the region is looking into sharing cases by postal code as some other municipalities have done, but that must include weighing the public health benefits as well as the potential negative impacts.
“It will be important to understand that data such as that needs to be interpreted properly and shouldn’t be used to stigmatize neighbourhoods, for example,” Wang said. “And it shouldn’t be used for people to think that even if their neighbourhood shows lower rates that they’re somehow more immune in a particular neighbourhood than another one.”
Outbreaks are declared at five long-term care and retirement homes — down one from the previous day.
Wang said it was a “welcome development” that the province appointed this week St. Mary’s General Hospital to temporarily manage Forest Heights longterm care home in Kitchener, which has the region’s most significant and lengthy outbreak. She said the additional support will help to bring the outbreak under control and help the home, which has been receiving support from various health system partners in recent weeks, resume sustainable operations.
No new workplace outbreaks were declared. There continues to be two active workplace outbreaks, one in a food processing setting and the other manufacturing/industrial.
Three new charges for not complying with provincial emergency orders were laid since the last update just over a week ago.
Two were for gatherings over five people at a private residence, one in Kitchener and one in Waterloo. Another charge was laid against a Kitchener hair salon, a non-essential business that should remain closed.
“It’s probably important to reinforce what these three charges highlight, which is emergency orders are still in effect,” Murray said.
“They’ll continue to be enforced.”
There were also 161 site visits requiring education or warnings, and 227 requiring no action.
Murray said reopening of the province is being done in small steps with careful monitoring along the way “so we can coursecorrect if things flare up again.”
Wang was asked at Friday’s briefing if she thinks the region is ready for the second phase of the province’s reopening plan.
“What I’m seeing so far is encouraging. We’re managing to keep our rates relatively low,” she said.
“I don’t have concerns at this point with where the province is going. But again, I’m going to reserve the right to potentially change my mind depending on what we see with the results going forward.”