Waterloo Public Health reports first coronavirus-related death since mid-July

For the first time in more than a month, Waterloo Public Health has reported a coronavirus-related death in the region.

The agency says a man in his 70s who was a resident of the Golden Years Nursing & Retirement Centre in Cambridge is the first victim of the virus in Waterloo Region since July 17.

“I am saddened to hear of another death related to COVID-19 in our community,” Waterloo’s acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said in a statement. “I wish to express my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones.”

It is the 96th death in the area been connected to a long-term care or retirement home but the first reported in the area since June 3.

The COVID-19-related death toll in Waterloo Region has risen to 120.

The region reported two fewer positive tests for COVID-19 on Friday as well as one fewer resolved case.

A spokesperson for public health said the decreases were as a result of switching to a new reporting system.

“The change in case numbers was due to continuous data quality improvement as a result of moving to the new data system,” Julie Kalbfleisch told Global News in an email.

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There have now been 1,437 positive tests for the coronavirus in Waterloo Region, with 1,239 of those cases having been resolved.

There are still 38 active cases in the area, including two people who are in hospital as a result of COVID-19.

Area testing centres have now conducted 63275 tests, an increase of 3,301 tests since the region last updated its total figures on Tuesday.

Ontario reported 131 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, bringing the provincial total to 41,179.

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Friday’s case count is higher as a result of missing data from 11 public health units that was not available for Thursday’s report due to a system glitch and was then included for Friday’s report.

“Because of the data gap yesterday, today’s number is an overestimation of daily counts,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said.

The death toll in the province has risen to 2,796 as three more deaths were reported.

—With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues