4 new COVID-19 deaths reported in Waterloo Region, bringing death toll to 179

Four new COVID-19 deaths were reported in the region by Waterloo Public Health on Monday, raising the death toll in the area to 179.

At least 120 of the deaths in Waterloo Region have been connected to long-term-care or retirement homes including two of those announced on Monday.

One of the deaths was attributed to Highland Place in Kitchener, which has seen six residents and three staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus since since a COVID-19 outbreak was decalred on New Year’s Day.

The other death was reported at the Village of Winston Park where there have been six deaths reported since an outbreak began at the Kitchener home on Dec. 6.

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A total of 25 residents and 28 staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus during the outbreak.

These are just two active outbreaks in Waterloo Region, a number which remains unchanged after four have ended as four other new ones were reported on Monday.

Outbreaks were declared over at two retirement homes in Kitchener (A.R. Goudie and in the long-term-care unit at Chartwell Westmount) as well as a hockey-related outbreak and one connected to retail.

Two new outbreaks were declared at Chartwell Elmira and Chartwell Clair Hills (in Waterloo) as well as in two congregate settings.

Waterloo Public Health reported 164 new positive tests for the coronavirus, lifting the total number of cases to 7,503.

At the same time, it said 196 more people have been cleared of the virus, pushing the total  number of resolved cases to 6,268.

This leavers the area with 1,048 active cases including 27 people who are hospitalized as a result of COVID-19. Thirteen of those people are currently in intensive care units at area hospitals.

Elsewhere, Ontario is reporting 3,338 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, bringing the provincial total to 219,120.

Monday’s case count is lower than Sunday’s which saw 3,945 new infections.

The death toll in the province has risen to 5,012 — surpassing the grim 5,000 death milestone — after 29 more deaths were reported.

* With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues