More children sick with COVID-19 as case rates rise in Waterloo region: Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang

There was a steady increase in COVID-19 cases throughout November and many cases were in unvaccinated people, including school-aged children who only recently became eligible to receive the vaccine, says the region's medical officer of health.

Children between the ages of five and 11 only began getting their vaccines last week — and without that protection there have been numerous outbreaks in schools, Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said Friday during a media briefing.

"This trend will likely continue until more of our five to 11-year-old population becomes immunized," Wang said.

As of Friday, the region's dashboard showed there were outbreaks in five schools:

Friday afternoon the Waterloo Region District School Board also announced a two-case outbreak at Forest Glen Public School in New Hamburg. The board noted this was not a school-wide outbreak.

At Southridge Public School, the four cases are linked to the outbreak in one cohort, but Wang said there are 10 cases in the school. Public health has dismissed nine cohorts in total, including six classes, one bus and two staff cohorts. 

"We have the sense that there is increasing numbers of children who are testing positive," Wang said, noting that there have been clear links that show children contracted the virus from people within their household or a high-risk contact.

Public health has offered rapid tests to parents and caregivers at Southridge, which Wang called a "prudent and proactive measure" to curb spread and catch any cases in asymptomatic students. Use of the rapid tests is voluntary, but Wang said public health hopes families will participate.

Any students who attend the school who have symptoms should not use the rapid test, Wang said, but instead should seek out a PCR test at a COVID-19 assessment centre.

As more children get vaccinated, Wang said she expects case rates to decline. She said research data has shown that children mount a good immune response even with one dose.

There were 26 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Waterloo region on Friday.

There were 230 active cases. There were eight people in the region's three hospitals infectious with the virus. There were five people in the intensive care unit. The region notes people in the ICU may no longer be infectious with COVID-19 but do require ongoing care.

There were 10 outbreaks in the region, including the five in schools mentioned above. The other outbreaks were:

Since last Friday, the region has given 8,613 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to children aged five to 11, said Vickie Murray, the region's vaccine services director.