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
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.