3 of 4 new COVID-19 cases in Waterloo Region attributed to travel

There have been four new positive tests for the novel coronavirus in Waterloo Region, raising the total number of cases to 1,398, according to Waterloo Public Health.

Three of those four cases have been attributed to travel, according to the agency, although it is unclear where those people visited.

Waterloo Public Health told Global News that 18 per cent of the cases in the area last month were attributed to travel.

“The most common country travelled was the U.S. (seven cases), with five from India and one each from the U.K., Nicaragua and Pakistan,” the agency stated.

Public Health is warning people that travelling outside of Canada continues to pose a risk of exposure to the coronavirus and is recommending that residents avoid all non-essential travel.

Another three people were also cleared of the virus, lifting the total number of resolved cases to 1,258.

This means the number of active cases in the region has risen by one to 21 including one person who remains in hospital as a result of COVID-19.

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The outbreak at Columbia Forest has been declared over. It was first declared on July 23 after a staff member tested positive.

There is one remaining active outbreak at A.R. Goudie in Kitchener. It was declared on Monday after a resident of the home tested positive for the coronavirus.

Waterloo Public Health says that 55,994 tests have now been conducted in the area, 2,680 more since the totals were updated on Tuesday.

For the fifth-straight day, the province announced less than 100 new positive tests for the coronavirus.

Ontario reported 88 new cases of the novel coronavirus, bringing the provincial total to 39,897.

The death toll in the province remains at 2,783 as no new deaths were reported.