Waterloo Region delays move into Step 2
The Region of Waterloo won't move into Step 2 next week with the rest of Ontario.
In a news release on Thursday morning, local officials said they made the decision based on "current data and the prevalence of the Delta variant locally."
“To give our residents more time to be vaccinated, to avoid having to take a step back, and based on our situation at this time, I anticipate the Region of Waterloo will be able to move into Step 2 in mid-July,” Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said in the release. “This approach gives us the best chance to hold onto the gains we have made.”
Dr. Wang said the region will be better able to predict a move into Step 2 in the coming weeks.
“I fully understand that pausing our move to Step 2 will greatly impact many in our community,” Chair Karen Redman said in the release. “We are in one of the most critical phases of the pandemic locally and this decision is made with the health and safety of all of our community at heart.”
Expanded second dose eligibility expanded in Waterloo Region on Wednesday. Accelerated second doses are available to anyone who received an mRNA vaccine on or before May 30.
More than 75 per cent of residents over the age of 18 have received at least one dose, and 21 per cent are considered fully vaccinated.
"We're going to be watching very closely what's going on in Waterloo to ensure that it doesn't spread in the southwest region. We're also watching Porcupine, North Bay and Grey Bruce. What will get us through is increasing our immunization rates," said Ontario's incoming Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore. "I absolutely hope that our local public health agencies, in partnership with the ministry, can get the Delta activity under control that is slowly increasing in some jurisdictions in Ontario."
“Without the power of the vaccine and without thousands and thousands of our residents getting vaccinated at our clinics, in pharmacies and at family doctors’ offices – our COVID-19 numbers would have grown exponentially over the last few weeks due to the Delta variant,” Dr. Wang said. “Maximizing the number of our residents who get a first and then second dose is our way out, and I urge all residents to get their first and second doses as soon as they are available to them. In addition to the regional clinics, we have over 123 pharmacies in our region giving out vaccine and many family medicine practices doing the same.”
The rest of Ontario will move into Step 2 on June 30. That step includes outdoor gatherings of up to 25 people, indoor gatherings up to five people, expanded capacity in retail stores, and reopening of personal care services as long as face coverings can be worn.
Premier Doug Ford addressed Waterloo Region's reopening delay in a statement on Thursday.
"Today I spoke with Regional Chair Karen Redman and Waterloo Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wang about the ongoing challenges facing the Waterloo Region, particularly their fight against the Delta Variant," Ford said. "The province is doing everything possible to support the Waterloo Region at this time."
He said the province has allocated more than 44,000 additional vaccine doses to the region, along with a mobile team capable of administering more than 500 doses per day in high-priority areas.
"We will continue to be there for the people of Kitchener-Waterloo, and will provide the local public health unit with additional vaccines and resources should they need them," Ford said. "Every day Ontario gets closer and closer to defeating this virus, and we won’t rest until every corner of our province is able to reopen and get back to life as we knew it before COVID-19."
With files from CTV Kitchener's Max Martin.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.