Waterloo Region reported nine new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, bringing the area’s total to 1,378.
It’s the largest single-day increase of new cases in more than three weeks when nine cases were reported on Canada Day.
A second outbreak was also declared after one staff member at Columbia Forest Long Term Care tested positive for the virus.
Another outbreak at PeopleCare Hilltop Manor in Cambridge, which was declared on July 13, continues. One staff member there has tested positive, but there have been no other confirmed cases since the outbreak was declared.
The region’s death toll remains unchanged at 119, as no new deaths have been reported.
Meanwhile, 1,207 Waterloo Region residents have recovered from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, which is six more than the previous day.
Public health has completed 47,607 tests so far. That is up 1,212 tests from Tuesday when testing numbers were last reported.
There are 52 active cases in Waterloo Region. That includes 12 people in hospital due to COVID-19, which is unchanged from the previous day.
Ontario reported 195 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, bringing the provincial total to 38,405. The death toll has risen to 2,758 as three new deaths were reported.
Most of the new cases are from people under the age of 40. The majority of the new cases came from Windsor-Essex.
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Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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