Waterloo Region down to 5 active COVID-19 outbreaks

Waterloo Public Health reported that the region is down to five active outbreaks in areas of concern, the lowest total since last November.

Waterloo Public Health reported that the region is down to five active COVID-19 outbreaks in areas of concern, the lowest total since last November.

Then, the list also included businesses and schools, among other places, whereas now it is just areas of concern, which includes hospitals, retirement homes and congregate settings.

Outbreaks were declared over at Grand River Hospital and in a congregate setting, which left the area with three outbreaks at hospitals and one in a congregate setting.

The area’s three hospitals continue to see a decline in COVID-19 patients as there are now 21, including 10 that need intensive care. Both numbers fell by one on Wednesday.

Waterloo Public Health also announced another 78 new positive tests for the coronavirus on Wednesday, lifting the total number of COVID-19 cases in the area to 40,974.

This lifts the rolling seven-day average number of new daily cases back to 51.3. A week ago, that number was 51.2, although the testing numbers are considered an under-estimate of actual community caseload since changes to testing availability have decreased the veracity of the totals.

Another 84 people were also cleared of the virus, lifting the total number of resolved cases in the region to 40,102.

And for the third straight day, no new COVID-19-related deaths were reported in the area, leaving the death toll at 400, including 87 in 2022.