Region’s public health urges students to ‘make good decisions’ this weekend

‘Significantly enhanced’ police presence at university areas to ensure homecoming celebrations comply

WATERLOO REGION — This homecoming weekend in Waterloo, students are urged to think about more than just having a good time when celebrating together.

Unsanctioned — and illegal — gatherings could jeopardize Waterloo Region’s gains in the fight against COVID-19, officials warn.

“It’s not just about them and their friends. It’s about the rest of our community,” medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang said during Friday’s briefing.

“We’ve seen when people gather in unsafe ways, Delta spreads very quickly, it spreads broadly, and it continues to have impacts on the health-care system. It puts other parts of our community at risk.”

Wang, along with Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin, entreated students and alumni to celebrate homecoming responsibly and safely this weekend by keeping in mind public-health measures and pandemic rules.

“We’re really appealing to people to understand that when they gather in unsafe ways, they create risk not only for themselves and the people that they’re with, but it has repercussions throughout our community,” Wang said.

People who decide to celebrate in person should reduce the risk by celebrating outdoors in small groups, Wang said.

Larkin said homecoming weekend often involves gatherings, including unsanctioned events, which are especially problematic during a pandemic.

This weekend there will be a “significantly enhanced” police presence in the Waterloo university area to ensure compliance and break up any large, unsafe gatherings. Students who break provincial limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings risk a ticket, and also suspension or expulsion from school.

“Please enjoy responsibly,” Larkin said.

He encouraged people to go to a licensed establishment in Waterloo’s core where they can celebrate with friends in a controlled, safe environment that requires vaccination proof and masking.

“And you can still have a good time.”

Wang said there’s relative stability in local COVID-19 trends, which is consistent with what’s being seen in many communities across Ontario.

“However, the Delta variant continues to circulate in our community and represents the vast majority of cases. We know that the Delta variant is more transmissible and causes more severe illness and rates could rise as people start to have more activity indoors,” Wang said.

Region reports 29 new COVID cases

> Another 29 COVID-19 cases were reported in the Friday update by public health, putting the total at 19,534.

> Variants-of-concern cases increased by 19 to 6,281, The Delta variant accounts for more than 44 per cent of those cases with the total now at 2,772.

> Active cases went down by six to 170

> Hospitalizations went up by two to 10, and six people are in intensive care.

> Deaths remained at 297. á Outbreaks increased by one to 12. An outbreak declared Thursday in a manufacturing/industrial setting has three cases.

> Four outbreaks are active in schools. One is connected to three cases, while the others have two each.

Wang said COVID-19 cases are being detected in students and staff due to heightened monitoring and most cases were acquired outside the school setting.

“What we’re seeing is for the most part a reflection of the community transmission that continues to happen,” Wang said.

Among reported cases, there are a small fraction that could have been potentially transmitted in the school setting, usually between two students.

“The outbreaks, at this point, remain small,” Wang said. “That’s also a sign that the measures that the school boards and the students themselves are putting in place and practicing are having an effect at controlling spread in the school environment.”

Regional Chair Karen Redman urged post-secondary students and alumni to consider the entire community this homecoming weekend. “To anyone celebrating homecoming, please avoid large gatherings and make good decisions this weekend,” Redman said. “It’s important that we all treat each other with respect and work together to keep our community safe and healthy.”