KITCHENER -- A Cambridge nursing home is now the site of one of the largest COVID-19 outbreaks that Waterloo Region has seen since the pandemic began.

Steps are being taken to control the outbreak at Cambridge Country Manor long-term care home with the ongoing help of Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

The facility has reported 114 cases since the outbreak was declared on Dec. 8: 60 in residents and 54 in staff. Ten people have died of COVID-19 there, including seven reported on Wednesday and another on Thursday.

"Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the families," said hospital president and CEO Patrick Gaskin.

Region of Waterloo Public Health identified the victims as a man in his 70s, three men in their 80s, two women in their 90s and a woman in her 100s.

In each case, officials said that COVID-19 was a contributing factor but was not the underlying cause of death.

Brent Becker's father, Jim, died at the age of 77 over the weekend. He had tested positive for the disease and a resident of Cambridge County Manor.

"Really brave and really tough man," Becker said. "He lasted from the eighth to the 19th, so he put up a pretty good fight, but COIVD was too much."

Becker said his father had a stroke six years ago that left him paralyzed.

Another resident, 77-year-old Hubert Glassen, died on Tuesday.

"He died alone, he died in pain," his daughter, Rhonda Townes, said. "Family was not allowed to see them."

His family is devastated and doesn't know how COVID-19 got into the home.

"I just want to know why they let it get out of hand," Townes said.

Becker was able to have one lsat phone conversation with his father before his death.

"He was in a lot of pain," he said. "He told me he had never been so uncomfortable in his life, with the pain."

Becker will pick up his ashes on Thursday.

"I'm going to bring him home for Christmas," he said.

At Cambridge Country Manor, it's the first outbreak that the facility has experienced.

"The home did very well through wave one and a credit to the leadership, to the staff there for keeping everyone safe," Gaskin said.

As of last week, though, the hospital re-deployed its own staff to provide extra support. That includes physicians, nurses and personal support workers, as well as maintenance, housekeeping and spiritual care staff.

"We've got a full-court press to really support the home," Gaskin said.

The facility is being deep-cleaned and staff members are keeping families updated with the latest news.

Across Waterloo Region there have been more than 5,300 cases of COVID-19, including more than 4,500 recoveries and 158 deaths.

There are outbreaks at seven other long-term care and retirement homes in the region.