Advertisement

36% of August COVID-19 cases in Waterloo Region are travel-related

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus: Travel rules and restrictions across Canada'
Coronavirus: Travel rules and restrictions across Canada
Coronavirus: Travel rules and restrictions across Canada – Jun 25, 2020

Thirty-six per cent of the new positive tests for the coronavirus in August have been the result of travel, according to Waterloo Public Health’s numbers.

So far this month, the agency has reported 47 new cases, with 17 of them being travel-related.

This number is on the rise despite the Canada-U.S. land border having been closed to all non-essential travel since mid-March.

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus: Doug Ford stands by back-to-school plan'
Coronavirus: Doug Ford stands by back-to-school plan

There were only 15 travel-related cases in the area last month, which worked out to about 18 per cent of all new cases.

Story continues below advertisement

“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 told Global News earlier this month about the July figures.

Waterloo Public Health reported two new positive tests for the coronavirus on Wednesday, although the total number of cases actually decreased due to clerical error. There have now been 1,432 cases in Waterloo Region.

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.

Get weekly health news

Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Five more people have also been cleared of the virus, raising the total number of resolved cases to 1,279.

It has been over a month since the last COVID-19-related death was reported in the region as no new deaths were reported Wednesday. The death toll remains at 119.

Click to play video: 'Coronavirus: Canada averaging over 380 cases a day over the past week, top doctor says'
Coronavirus: Canada averaging over 380 cases a day over the past week, top doctor says

There are now 34 active cases in the region, including three people in hospital as a result of COVID-19.

Story continues below advertisement

A new outbreak has also been declared at the Golden Years retirement home in Cambridge after a resident tested positive on Aug. 13.

Ontario reported 102 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the provincial total to 40,972.

The death toll in the province has decreased by one to 2,792.

—With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues

Sponsored content

AdChoices