Long-term care and retirement homes continues to lead the way in new cases of the novel coronavirus in Waterloo Region, with two new outbreaks over the weekend, the Public Health department reports.
There were 940 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region as of Monday morning, 103 of them fatal, an increase of just two deaths since the region’s previous video briefing Friday.
Of the 940 cases in the region since the outbreak began, 493 have been resolved – 52 per cent.
The region is monitoring outbreaks at 12 long-term care and retirement homes, the latest at PeopleCare Hill Top Manor in Cambridge and The Westhill Retirement Residence in Waterloo. Previous outbreaks at 17 facilities have been declared over.
Despite the outbreaks, Public Health continues to green-light essential visits to such facilities, allowing for direct family members to visit those in palliative care, for instance.
“Long term care homes and retirement homes are allowed to allow in essential visitors. It has been the case for a while. I think it’s important that they still continue to be allowed in,” said acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang.
Visitors are required to go through a screening program before being granted access, the same measures as those used for health-care workers.
“We have heightened surveillance in all of these homes to pick up cases,” said Wang, noting she believes a correlation between visitors and continued cases in such facilities is coincidental and, in part, due to the increased testing at those locations.
Addressing precautions, Wang urged care in the use of face masks.
“The general public can consider the use of non-medical masks such as cloth masks or face coverings, especially if they find themselves in situations where they may not be able to maintain physical distancing from others.”
Wang emphasized that adjusting masks frequently can to more harm than good, urging careful hand washing before and after putting on masks. While masks are an additional tool in the toolbox, she noted facial coverings should not provide a false sense of security.
Wang also addressed the need for the ongoing measures in place to combat the spread of the virus.
“About two months ago, we began to see public health measures put in place to fight COVID-19. This was a new way to go about our lives and has been a most difficult period for many, in those two months, many residents have fallen ill some seriously, and most sadly, several of our community members have lost their lives. There has [also] been the economic fallout that has affected many. We must take hope in the knowledge that our collective knowledge has saved lives. “
Concerning the economic fallout, regional Chair Karen Redman announced the region has sent a formal request on behalf of council to the federal government asking for financial assistance. The application was made to ensure services such as emergency childcare for health care workers and programs that benefit some of the most vulnerable citizens in the region. Currently, the Region of Waterloo is experiencing a loss of revenue of approximately $4.8 million per month.
“We’re doing all we can on our part to get through this, and I am proud of how the regions municipalities, businesses, health care partners and citizens have responded,” said Redman.
The loss in revenue stems from the mandatory closure of public facilities and programs, including changes to transit, closures of museums and fewer tickets being issued.
Updated figures released Monday show Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health reporting 328 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase of three over the past 24 hours. There have been 30 fatalities. Some 154 cases have been resolved, with eight patients in hospital, four in intensive care.
Tthe Ministry of Health was reporting 20,546 cases of the novel coronavirus in Ontario, an increase of 1.5 per cent over the previous day. There have been 1,669 deaths attributed to the virus, representing a mortality rate of 8.1 per cent. The ministry reports 15,131 cases (73.6 per cent) have been resolved.
The latest numbers from Health Canada show 69,156 confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide, with 4,906 related deaths. Some 1,119,026 Canadians have been tested for the virus.
