Waterloo region COVID-19 hospitalizations drop

The number of patients in Waterloo region hospitals with COVID-19 has dropped to its lowest level in two months.

In its weekly dashboard update posted Friday, the region said there were 26 COVID-19-positive patients in local hospitals, down from 45 last week. Six patients are currently receiving care in the ICU.

One more death was added to the region’s COVID-19 tally on Friday, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 494 in Waterloo region.

Provincially the number of hospital patients testing positive for COVID-19 in Ontario has decreased by 16 per cent. At the same time, Ontario’s pediatric hospitals struggle to manage an influx of patients with other upper respiratory infections, such as influenza and RSV.

Last week, St. Mary’s General Hospital and Grand River Hospital announced they were both postponing some elective surgeries due to a high number of patients being admitted through their emergency departments.