COVID-19 outbreaks in Waterloo Region linked to hockey, racquet sports

Waterloo Public Health says has redefined two COVID-19 outbreaks in the area, linking one to hockey and another to racquet sports.

Initially, the agency reported the outbreaks as simply ‘sports and fitness’ but a spokesperson for Waterloo Public Health told Global News: “we wanted to make sure that the definitions represented the various types of facilities and activities that could be impacted.”

“As we get more information on the dashboard and confidentiality becomes less of an issue because there are more examples we try to help paint the picture of what is going on in the community.“

The hockey-related outbreak began on Nov. 16 and has now been linked to six cases while the racquet sports-related outbreak has grown to 15 cases.

No further details have been provided about the outbreaks.

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Two new outbreaks were reported on Friday including one involving trades and related services which has three cases and one connected to the food and beverage industry which has two cases.

The region stands at 20 active outbreaks as one at an office and one connected to the construction industry have been declared over.

Waterloo Public Health reported 39 new positive tests for the coronavirus on Friday, lifting the total number of cases in the region to 2,911.

At the same time, another 55 people were cleared of the virus, pushing the total number of resolved cases to 2,456.

No new COVID-19-related deaths were reported, leaving the death toll at 122.

The number of active cases has dropped to 331 although 22 people are now in area hospitals as a result of the virus.

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Ontario reported 1,418 new cases of coronavirus on Friday — as the province surpasses 100,000 cumulative cases since the start of the pandemic — bringing the provincial total to 100,790.

According to Friday’s provincial report, 400 cases were recorded in Peel Region, 393 in Toronto, 168 in York Region and 77 in Ottawa.

All other public health units in Ontario reported under 50 new cases.

The death toll in the province has risen to 3,451 as eight more deaths were reported.

–With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues