Eight more cases of COVID-19 reported in Waterloo Region: public health

KITCHENER -- Region of Waterloo Public Health officials have reported another eight cases of COVID-19.

Thursday's update brings the total number of local cases to 1,546, including 1,344 that have been resolved and 120 deaths.

That leaves 82 known active cases in the region, of which none are hospitalized. The number of active cases in the region has more than doubled in the past week. On Sept. 10, there were 37 active cases.

The number of active cases continues to rise, as there have been more than 80 cases reported in the region in the last two weeks. The recent increase in cases has led public health officials to reinstate daily COVID-19 updates, which had been reduced to weekdays when case numbers were lower.

At least two of those new cases have been identified in the region's schools. Earlier this month, a staff member at Edna Staebler Public School tested positive for the disease. Then, on Wednesday, the Waterloo Catholic School Board announced its own case in a kindergarten class at St. Anne's Elementary School.

"We were made aware this afternoon by Region of Waterloo Public Health that a case of COVID-19 has been identified in a kindergarten class at St. Anne Cambridge," the school board's website read in part.

"Public Health is in the process of contacting all high risk contacts of the positive case by end of the business day tomorrow, and will provide individual guidance to them."

To date, 77,875 tests have been done for the disease in Waterloo Region.

There are still two active outbreaks at facilities in Waterloo Region: one at a long-term care home, where one staff member tested positive earlier this month, and one at a congregate setting.

ONTARIO NUMBERS ON THE RISE

As a whole, Ontario continued its upward trend on Thursday, reporting nearly 300 new cases across the province. Public health officials reported 293 new infections after two days in a row of over 300 cases.

The province's seven-day rolling average has risen to 260, up from 242 on Wednesday.

Of the new cases, 85 were reported in Toronto, with 63 in Peel Region and 39 in Ottawa. Premier Doug Ford was expected to roll back gathering limits in these hotspots on Thursday, reducing the number of people who can get together to 10 people inside and 25 outside.

To date, 45,676 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Ontario, including 40,242 cases that have been resolved and 2,825 deaths.