Region of Waterloo 'at a very precarious moment' in fight against COVID-19
Health officials are starting to see signs new cases of COVID-19 are plateauing in Waterloo Region, but Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang warned the region is “at very precarious moment" at a weekly COVID-19 update on Friday.
Community spread remains high and even as case numbers stabilize, it will take several weeks for the impact to be felt at local hospitals, Dr. Wang said.
"Our hospitals are facing their most challenging times yet," she said.
On Thursday, Grand River Hospital in Kitchener announced it was asking recently retired staff to return to work amid record-breaking staffing and capacity shortages.
Wastewater signals, which health officials use as a proxy to gauge COVID-19 cases in the community, are still at their highest levels but are starting to plateau, Dr. Wang said.
The region's wastewater dashboard shows the SARS-CoV-2 N-gene signal remains high, but the rapid increase observed since mid-December has plateaued at all sites. (Region of Waterloo)
The region's wastewater dashboard shows the SARS-CoV-2 N-gene signal remains high, but the rapid increase observed since mid-December has plateaued at all sites. (Region of Waterloo)
"Our collective efforts to blunt the wave are showing promise but we cannot let up on the brake pedal too quickly," she said.
With Ontario set to start loosening restrictions on Jan. 31, Dr. Wang urged caution to "protect our progress and avoid going backwards."
Wang said the provinces' plan was "reasonable," noting its goal is to blunt the most severe impacts of Omicron while also mitigating harms related to keeping current restrictions in place.
"It's a delicate balance and it's a difficult decision that the province is making in terms of timing," she said.
VACCINE UPDATE
Vickie Murray, head of the region’s vaccine task force, said 81.8 per cent of all eligible residents in Waterloo Region have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
An estimated 60 per cent have also received a third dose, including 82 per cent of people 70 and over.
Murray reported 51.5 per cent of children aged five to 11 in the region have received one dose.
The region trialed its first during-school clinic Wednesday and were "very pleased to get positive feedback," Murray said.
There are currently nine school-based clinics operating after school and on weekends.
Meanwhile "a small but steady supply" of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also now arriving in the region, Murray said. People interested in that vaccine can preregister with Region of Waterloo Public Health.
The next phase of vaccine roll out will include more community outreach, said Murray.
CALLS FOR COUNSELLING UP
Lisa Akey, director of Carizon and lead for the counselling collaborative made up of six non-profit counselling agencies in Waterloo Region was also on hand for Friday’s update.
Akey reported calls for counselling services in Waterloo Region have increased by 60 per cent during the pandemic, with a particular increase in the need for family counselling.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
Families shocked after Niagara Falls hotel cancels bookings made year in advance of solar eclipse
After having the foresight to book their Niagara Falls hotel rooms more than a year in advance, several families planning to take in the solar eclipse next month were shocked to find out their reservations had been cancelled.
B.C. rescuers face 'high likelihood' of failure to reunite orphaned orca with pod
The race to reunite an orphaned orca calf that’s stuck in a shallow lagoon with a neighbouring pod has entered its fifth day, and a marine scientist says the clock is ticking.
Video shows police interrupting auto theft in progress outside Toronto home
New video footage obtained by CP24 shows the attempted theft of a vehicle in a North York driveway earlier this month that was ultimately interrupted by police.
Majority of Canadians believe in life after death: Angus Reid survey
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
MyPillow, owned by U.S. election denier Mike Lindell, formally evicted from Minnesota warehouse
A court ordered the eviction Wednesday of MyPillow from a suburban Minneapolis warehouse that it formerly used.