KITCHENER -- The medical officer of health in Waterloo Region said she's "supportive" of the province's decision to extend the stay-at-home order into June.
On Thursday, Premier Doug Ford said the order will now expire on June 2.
"Though we are seeing slow improvements in our indicators, these gains can be quickly reversed if we move too fast to reopen," Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said at the region's COVID-19 briefing on Friday morning.
Dr. Wang said indicators in the region are moving in the right direction.
"But, we have seen some stagnation in our overall case rates," she said.
The weekly incidence rate is now 75 cases per 100,000 people per week.
Daily case counts have fluctuated over the past week, but Dr. Wang said it's more important to follow trends over a number of days.
"Our situation remains precarious," she said.
She encouraged people to continue following all public health measures to continue driving down case counts.
"A cautious approach to reopening gives us the best chance to avoid another shutdown," Dr. Wang said. "Reduce your mobility and limit close contacts. A brighter future is ahead of us."
Dr. Wang also addressed the upcoming long weekend, encouraging people to follow measures over the holiday.
"We've come so far and we're in a good position now moving forward," she said. "I really urge everyone to keep up with the public health precautions and to follow this stay-at-home order, because that's really our best chance for being able to reopen safely."
