Early signs of Omicron plateau in Waterloo Region, health officials say

Health officials in the Region of Waterloo say there are early signs that the Omicron surge could be plateauing locally.

Speaking at a Board of Health meeting on Wednesday, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said wastewater monitoring for the virus that causes COVID-19 shows the start of decline locally. The wastewater dashboard is updated on Thursdays, and Dr. Wang said the latest information should give health officials a better idea of how close the area is to a plateau.

It could indicate easing pressure on hospitals within four to six weeks. However, Dr. Wang said extreme caution is still necessary to help hospitals that continue to deal with capacity issues.

"The efforts that our community made to get boosted and reduce contacts helped to prevent even more severe cases and even more outbreaks," Dr. Wang said. "But, we cannot let up on the brake pedal too quickly. We need to proceed cautiously and aggressively with loosening measures that have helped reduce close contacts and slow the spread."

VACCINATION UPDATE

Vickie Murray, the region's vaccination lead, said they're starting to shift their strategy with local clinics.

There is more capacity than demand for doses at the moment at the Cambridge Pinebush clinic, meaning they're now offering walk-ins.

An Hourglass HR clinic will also allow walk-ins for all doses.

Murray said the Bingemans clinic will close as they shift to more community and after-school clinics.