19 new cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region, outbreak at Laurier on-campus residence

There are 19 new cases of COVID-19 in Waterloo region as of Tuesday morning with a new outbreak being declaredat Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.

Public health reports there are 127 active cases of the virus in the region, with three people being listed in hospital. The number of coronavirus-related deaths remains at 120, a number that hasn't changed since Aug. 21.

Nearly 153,000 tests had been done in the region as of Monday evening, the region said. Of the 1,914 cases reported in the region since March, 1,675, or 88 per cent, have been marked as resolved.

Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, the region's acting medical officer of health, urged people to continue to keep physical distance from people outside of their households, along with regular hand washing and mask wearing, to curbthe spread of COVID-19.

"Our growth has not accelerated at the same pace as some other areas in Ontario. Similar to other mid-sized regions in Ontario, however, we remain in a precarious state," Wang said during a media briefing on Tuesday morning.

The provincereported 746 additional cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Active outbreaks

There are nine active outbreaks in the region: three in long-term care or retirement homes, two in licensed child care centres, one in a congregate setting and three at schools: two cases at J. F. Carmichael Public School in Kitchener, two cases at cole Cardinal-Lger in Kitchener and seven cases at Laurier.

Four of the cases are students who live in residenceand three are students who live off campus. Wang says the cases are linked because all seven "likely acquired their infection" by taking part in a largestudy group off campus.

In a statement, the university said the on-campus cases involve people livingontwo floors of the Clara Conrad Hall residence at the Waterloo campus.

"At this time, the individuals are in self-isolation and are being monitored by public health," the university's statement said.

"The university is taking direction about the management of this outbreak from public health, including supporting the contact tracing and isolation of individuals in a specialized quarantine residence building established for this purpose."

2nd GRT operator tests positive

Grand River Transit has announced a second bus driver has tested positive for COVID-19. That individual last worked on Oct. 7 and drove "various routes in the afternoon and evening," GRT says on its website.

The driver is now self-isolating at home.

GRT had announced another driver had tested positive on Oct. 8, and had last worked on Oct. 4.