KITCHENER -- Outbreaks of COVID-19 at three more long-term care and retirement homes have been declared over.
Region of Waterloo Public Health officials reported Wednesday that there are now just six more facilities in outbreak.
The hardest-hit long-term care home in Waterloo Region, Forest Heights Revera, had its outbreak declared back on April 1.
Since then, 177 residents and 69 staff members have tested positive for the virus. Fifty-one people have died.
On Tuesday, the province ordered the appointment of St. Mary's General Hospital to manage the facility after difficulties getting the outbreak under control.
Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the Acting Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Waterloo, calls the province’s decision a "welcome development."
"The Forest Heights outbreak has been very significant in terms of its size and complexity, and has proven challenging to bring under control," she said in a statement issued Tuesday.
"This temporary management order will further assist to end the outbreak and return the facility to sustainable operations."
Each of the other facilities that have declared outbreaks in Waterloo Region has reported just a single case.
Those outbreaks are in the following settings:
Beechwood Manor RH: one case in staff, outbreak declared on May 30
Chartwell Queen's Square RH: one case in residents, outbreak declared on May 25
Riverbend RH and Independent Living: one case in residents, outbreak declared on May 21
Village Manor RH: one case in residents, outbreak declared on May 20
Parkwood Mennonite LTC: one case in staff, outbreak declared on May 17
The region also reported another eight cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,138. That includes 852 resolved cases and 115 deaths.
Officials also added another 386 tests to their tally, bringing the local number of tests administered to date to 19,885.
Across the province, health officials reported 338 new cases of COVID-19, for a total of 29.047. Of those, 22,811 cases have been marked resolved, while 2,312 people have died.
