Decline of latest COVID-19 wave 'very slow,' Waterloo region's medical officer says

COVID-19 continues to circulate "at an elevated level" in Waterloo region and it's expected more people will contract the virus this fall and winter, the region's medical officer of health says.

"There are indications we have passed our peak [of the seventh wave], but the decline has been very slow," Dr. Hsiu-Li Wangtold a board of health meeting Wednesday night.

Wang said new subvariants of the virus spread "incredibly easily" and now, the focus is less on stopping spread, and more on reducing severity when people do contract the virus.

She said the best way to improve outcomes from the virus is vaccination..

"We can expect to see further waves, especially during the upcoming fall and winter season when we gather more indoors and when respiratory viruses tend to circulate. We can expect other viruses, like influenza and other seasonal respiratory viruses will also circulate during the fall and winter," Wangsaid.

She added it's "important that we continue to make efforts to reduce the impact of successive waves of COVID-19" because the virus can still present significant risk to the community, especially because of the impact on fatigued workforce "in multiple sectors, not least of which is the health-care sector."

26 outbreaks

New numbers released by Region of Waterloo Public Health on Friday showed there are 26 outbreaks in high-risk settings around the region. That includes:

• 18 in long-term care and retirement facilities.
• Six in congregate settings.
• Two in hospitals.

There were 46 people listed as being in hospital with the virus and four people in the intensive care unit.

Wastewater data shows the virus' signal "has plateaued at an elevated level across the region," the public health dashboard said.

There wereno new deaths reported since Aug. 19. The number of COVID-related deaths in Waterloo region remained at 450.

Bivalent booster expected this fall

Jessie Johal, the region's manager of healthy communities, schools and workplaces program, said the region continues to offer vaccines at two fixed sites one at 99 Regina St. in Waterloo and one at 30 Christopher Dr. in Cambridge as well as mobile clinics in the townships and "hard-to-reach" communities.

Johal says this fall, the province has advised public health that it's anticipating the release of the bivalent booster a mix of two COVID-19 vaccines that are aimed at the original strain and Omicron variants in September and October.

She said public health has a plan in place to get those booster shots into arms because the ministry of health has indicated it's expected there will be higher demand for those shots.

An update from public health on Thursday showed:

• 85 per cent of all residents have at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• 82 per cent have two doses.
• 49.7 per cent have received a booster dose.
• 12.6 per cent have received two booster doses.