KITCHENER -- Three people charged at a house party with more than 100 guests, teachers choosing to resign or retire early rather than go back to school this year and Waterloo regional council considering extending the face covering bylaw into May round up this week's top stories.
Three charged for 100-person house party in Waterloo as COVID-19 cases rise
Three people have been charged after more than 100 students had to be dispersed from a party in Waterloo.
In a news release, police said they were called to a Hickory Street West address at about 10 p.m. on Monday. By-law officers charged three people under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act as a result.
University of Guelph confirms student one of four killed in Oshawa shooting
The University of Guelph has confirmed that one of the four people killed in a tragic shooting in Oshawa was a student at the school.
The release from the school came Saturday night following the incident on Friday morning.
On Sunday, police identified the four family members who were shot to death inside their home by an "uninvited" relative as 50-year-old Chris Traynor and his children – 20-year-old Bradley, 15-year-old Adelaide, and 11-year-old Joseph.
Some teachers resigning, retiring early instead of returning to classroom
As students prepare to head back to the classroom, teachers are also deciding whether or not they should go back to school.
Some have opted not to come, instead resigning or retiring early.
"It was a really difficult decision for some people," said Patrick Etmanski, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association Waterloo Unit.
Waterloo Region reports 14 new cases of COVID-19, Ontario reports 200 for first time in weeks
Region of Waterloo Public Health officials have reported 14 new cases of COVID-19. Four of them were reported on Friday, while the region added another 10 cases to Thursday's case count of nine.
The region's online COVID-19 dashboard now shows that 19 cases were reported in the region on Thursday. Thursday's increase now marks the highest single-day increase of cases in the region since May 9, when 20 cases were reported.
There have now 1,503 cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo Region, including 1,339 resolved cases and 120 deaths. That leaves 44 active cases, of which zero are in hospital. To date, 251 people have been hospitalized with the disease at some point.
Region of Waterloo considers extension of face covering bylaw through next spring
The Region of Waterloo is considering extending its face covering bylaw through next spring.
According to its agenda posted online, regional council will discuss the extension at a meeting next week.
The bylaw, which came into effect on July 13, mandates masks and face coverings in all public indoor spaces in the region. It also includes public transit vehicles and shelters. When drafting the original bylaw, council decided to keep it in place until Sept. 30, with a possibility of extension.