New business guidelines in Waterloo Region as COVID-19 numbers stay high
Waterloo Region's top doctor has issued a set of instructions to local businesses in an effort to help limit the spread of COVID-19 during a week when daily case counts never dropped below 50.
In a news release issued on Thursday morning, the region said that the instructions will go into effect on Monday, Dec. 14 at 12:01 a.m. Some businesses, like health-care providers, school and child-care programs, are exempt.
Starting then, businesses are asked to do "active screening" of employees and essential visitors. Screening is to be done daily before or at the time that someone enters the workplace. Those who don't pass screening should be excluded right away.
As of Sunday, Waterloo Region is reporting 4,460 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 3,872 resolved, 134 deaths, 453 active cases, 37 hospitalized, and 13 in the ICU.
COVID-19 by the numbers (as of Dec. 13):
- Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 1,743 cases, 41 deaths, 1,451 resolved
- Brant County: 635 cases, 5 deaths, 548 resolved
- Haldimand-Norfolk: 726 cases, 37 deaths, 640 resolved
- Huron Perth: 432 cases, 20 deaths, 374 resolved
Ten tickets issued in Waterloo Region last week for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions
A restaurant, a gym and four transit users were among the recipients of 10 tickets issued in the past week for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, Waterloo Region officials said Friday.
During a media briefing that morning, regional Chair Karen Redman said that the tickets were issued as the objective moves from education to include enforcement, as well.
Four charges were issued in Waterloo, each coming with a price tag of $880. They were given at three private residences for exceeding gathering limits. With the region in the red "control" tier of the province's COVID-19 reopening framework, gatherings are limited to a maximum of five people indoors and 25 outdoors.
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph moving to red 'control' zone COVID-19 restrictions
Wellington County, Dufferin County, and the City of Guelph will soon be under stricter COVID-19 pandemic protocols. The Ontario government announced on Friday that the area is moving from the orange 'restrict' zone to the red 'control' zone when it comes to their public health restrictions.
The changes, which include indoor gatherings dropping from a maximum of 10 people to five, will come into effect on Monday.
The shift to the red zone comes after Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Nicola Mercer requested the provincial government do so as the number of cases increases in the area.
Dog rescued from Brantford home after neighbours heard it barking for days
A dog that was abandoned in a Brantford home has been rescued after nearby residents heard it barking for days. Neighbours of the west end home say they saw a family move out of a rented property on Monday, but left the dog behind.
Concerns grew whether or not the dog had food, water, or if no one was coming back.
"I wanted to kick the door in but I couldn't," said neighbor Nichole Russell.
Those earning under $150K a year hard-pressed to buy Waterloo home: city staff study
A new study from Waterloo city staff has found that households earning under $150,000 a year will most likely have a difficult time finding a single detached house to buy in the area.
The number is based on 2019 stats that also finds a household would need to make $100,000 to afford any kind of ownership housing.
The study comes at the same time as the city committing to create an affordable housing strategy that would be inclusive to low and moderate income families.
