Recent COVID-19 cases connected to travel, younger people
Posted Aug 12, 2020 12:31:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The local COVID-19 caseload has been remaining steady over the past few weeks, but Region of Waterloo Public Health has noticed a new trend in recent cases.
In July alone, travel-related cases made up 18 per cent of the new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the region.
Speaking at Tuesday's Committee of the Whole, Dr. Ryan Van Meer says it serves as an important reminder of the risk connected to traveling outside of Canada.
According to the doctor, the most common country travelled to was the United States, with seven individuals confirmed to have the virus returning to Canada. Five other cases were individuals returning from India, and a single case each involved someone returning from the United Kingdom, Nicaragua, and Pakistan.
Another trend Public Health has noticed in the region is that new cases are predominantly those in the 29 and under age groups.
Dr. Van Meer says while local case numbers have remained stable and low, he advises residents not to let up.
“While we have been continuing to see encouraging trends in the community, the experience of other jurisdictions indicate that we must remain vigilant in our day-to-day practices to prevent a sudden rise of cases again,” he said.
People are once again reminded to wear face masks when indoors or in crowded areas, physical distance and wash their hands with soap.
