Region risks spiralling into lockdown
Medical officer urges residents to reduce social gatherings to avoid further restrictions
WATERLOO REGION — Waterloo Region will “spiral into a lockdown” unless residents dramatically change their behaviour now, in particular reducing social interactions.
“The situation in Waterloo Region is serious. The level of spread in our community continues to reach new highs,” medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang warned during Friday’s COVID-19 briefing.
“That is why it is imperative that we act now. These measures are difficult, but they are absolutely necessary. The longer we wait, the harder it will be and the longer it will take to wrestle our case numbers down.”
The region remained in the red “control” level of the province’s COVID-19 response framework on Friday. Red is the fourth of five levels with the most serious being lockdown.
Wang said it wasn’t clear how close the region was being escalated into the grey lockdown level because there are not specific thresholds as with the other levels, but rather an assessment on how well red zone restrictions have been at curbing the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s a qualitative assessment that red measures have not had the impact that the province is hoping for,” Wang said. “It really will depend on how we trend in the next couple of weeks.”
Another 75 COVID-19 cases were reported in the Friday afternoon update by public health, pushing the total to 3,362.
Active cases climbed to 460, compared to 433 the previous day. Hospitalizations increased by two to 28, including eight in intensive care. Deaths remained at 124.
Atotal of 206,459 tests have been done in the region.
Total outbreaks increased by one to 23. Two new outbreaks were declared Thursday in workplace settings, including a food processing workplace and construction setting. A new hospital outbreak was also declared at Grand River Hospital.
“The spread of COVID-19 in our community continues to increase. Residents should consider that COVID-19 is broadly spreading in our community right now,” Wang said.
That rapid rise in cases and outbreaks is making it difficult for public health to keep up. Wang said the growing number and complexity of cases and outbreak investigations means staff are still struggling to reach positive cases within the recommended 24 hours. Over the last week, the average has hovered around 50 per cent.
“We continue to implement strategies to address the surge, including redeployment of staff and working to bring on automated processes where possible,” Wang said.
She said public health is “actively exploring multiple options” where automation could help get messaging out to cases and contacts in a timely way to ensure they have information while awaiting a followup call from a nurse.
Additional staff that regional council requested from the province began training on Thursday and will start work next week.
Enforcement
Four tickets were issued this week by local officers.
Kitchener bylaw handed a $880 ticket to Vita Lounge on Nov. 20 for not complying with the volume and distancing requirements under the Reopening Ontario Act.
The first two charges were issued by regional bylaw officers under the facecovering bylaw to two people in an apartment lobby. The tickets were $200 each.
Waterloo bylaw ticketed the occupant of a private residence on Nov. 24 for exceeding gathering limits $880
Almost 30 provincial offences officers were dispatched across the region last week for education and enforcement in high-risk businesses where spread is being seen and people are letting their guards down.
By Thursday, the team completed 346 inspections and found 73 per cent compliance overall. The most common contraventions observed were related to zone-change requirements when the region jumped from yellow to red.
Four tickets were issued: one to sport and recreational business, and three COVID-related orders to comply issued by Ministry of Labour inspectors under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to employers for observations in employee areas.