The COVID-19 pandemic

[tomh009]

Waterloo Region reported nine new cases for the weekend, which looks much better than last week. The number of LTC facilities with active cases is now down to three, but more cases were found at the food processing facility outbreak. The weekend's case increase averaged 0.35% of the total cases to date and 4.1% of the current active caseload. 109 cases now active in the region, down six, and down 43 in the past seven days. New cases averaging 6.8% of actives over the past seven days.

328 people tested in the region over the weekend, with a 2.7% positivity rate.

Ontario reported 243 new cases, another encouraging report. 240 recoveries and 24 deaths translate to an decrease of 21 active cases for the day, now down to 3,918, and a weekly total of -207. A respectable 15,357 tests for the day for a 1.6% positivity rate. The new cases are 0.8% of the total but 6.2% of the number of active cases. New cases averaging 8.5% of actives over the past seven days.

The hospital population dropped again, to 603 (-32) while the ICU population was up by one to 118 (+1).

[tomh009]

Here we go ... they are moving to reopen in Waterloo Region, and much of the rest of the province. No mention of masks so I think all we can hope for is common sense from people in terms of distancing. Alas, I don't have high confidence in that.

The new rules were announced Monday by the province, part of a second stage of reopening protocols that will allow people in certain regions to get haircuts and tattoos, visit shopping malls, swim in a public pool or visit a museum. (...) restaurants, bars, food trucks and other food and drink establishments, including wineries, breweries and distilleries, can offer dining in outdoor areas such as patios and parking lots.

https://www.therecord.com/business/2020/...riday.html

[panamaniac]

I guessing that most hair stylists/barbers and tattoo artists, etc, will insist on wearing masks and insist that their clients wear them too. Wait staff as well will probably wear masks as a matter of course.

[tomh009]

I guessing that most hair stylists/barbers and tattoo artists, etc, will insist on wearing masks and insist that their clients wear them too.  Wait staff as well will probably wear masks as a matter of course.

Stylists and barbers I can believe. But wait staff? Currently most grocery store staff do not wear masks. And very few stores mandate masks (Sheridan is the only one I can think of at the moment).

[clasher]

T&T is the only grocery store that mandates masks in the area, afaik? The two grocery stores I go to both have plexiglass shields for the cashiers.

[panamaniac]

T&T is the only grocery store that mandates masks in the area, afaik? The two grocery stores I go to both have plexiglass shields for the cashiers.

I've been really surprised to see so few supermarket employees wearing masks.  Not sure what's up with that.  As for restaurants, I can't imagine being served by someone not wearing a mask, at least for the time being.  Although, truth be told, if someone told me that I would never again eat in a restaurant, it wouldn't bother me in the least.  I haven't even ordered take away since the lockdown started.  This is a big change in my lifestyle/attitude since the "before times".

[tomh009]

Waterloo Region reported only two new cases today. The number of LTC facilities with active cases is now down to two. The new case increase averaged is 0.2% of the total cases to date and 1.9% of the current active caseload. 107 cases now active in the region, down two, and down 57 in the past seven days. New cases averaging 5.7% of actives over the past seven days.

655 people tested in the region, with a 0.3% positivity rate, but the daily test numbers bounce up and down a lot. Over the last seven days, we are averaging 325 tests per day and a 2.2% positivity rate.

Ontario reported 230 new cases, for a seven-day average of 299 new cases. 337 recoveries and (only) 14 deaths translate to an decrease of 121 active cases for the day, now down to 3,797, and a weekly total change of -426. 13,509 tests for the day for a 1.7% positivity rate. The positivity rate is averaging just 1.6% in spite of almost 19,000 tests per day so that is encouraging.

The new cases are 0.7% of the total but 6.1% of the number of active cases. New cases averaging 7.7% of actives over the past seven days.

The hospital population dropped again, to 600 (-3) while the ICU population was down by two, to 116 (-2).

[tomh009]

As for restaurants, I can't imagine being served by someone not wearing a mask, at least for the time being.  Although, truth be told, if someone told me that I would never again eat in a restaurant, it wouldn't bother me in the least.  I haven't even ordered take away since the lockdown started.  This is a big change in my lifestyle/attitude since the "before times".

Same for me! I will say that our home menu has expanded significantly, and I have (personally) been cooking a lot, and generally enjoying doing that.

[clasher]

As for restaurants, I can't imagine being served by someone not wearing a mask, at least for the time being.  Although, truth be told, if someone told me that I would never again eat in a restaurant, it wouldn't bother me in the least.  I haven't even ordered take away since the lockdown started.  This is a big change in my lifestyle/attitude since the "before times".

Same for me! I will say that our home menu has expanded significantly, and I have (personally) been cooking a lot, and generally enjoying doing that.

I've seen a few of the employees that stock the shelves wearing masks but I guess cashiers trust the plexiglass a lot more than I would. I've done take-out a few times, and biked through the drive-thru twice, and had a pizza delivered, that was nice and social-distanced since they just leave it on my porch table. I'd guess I've been eating restaurant food less too, I used to stop at cafes/bakeries on my long bike rides quite often but now avoid it unless I run out of food/water due to poor planning.

[danbrotherston]

Same for me! I will say that our home menu has expanded significantly, and I have (personally) been cooking a lot, and generally enjoying doing that.

I've seen a few of the employees that stock the shelves wearing masks but I guess cashiers trust the plexiglass a lot more than I would. I've done take-out a few times, and biked through the drive-thru twice, and had a pizza delivered, that was nice and social-distanced since they just leave it on my porch table. I'd guess I've been eating restaurant food less too, I used to stop at cafes/bakeries on my long bike rides quite often but now avoid it unless I run out of food/water due to poor planning.

For me, going out was always a treat, I usually cook at home, that really hasn't changed. We still order in as a treat from time to time (nice to have a break from cooking).

I would miss being able to make stops on long bike rides though...

[clasher]

For me, going out was always a treat, I usually cook at home, that really hasn't changed. We still order in as a treat from time to time (nice to have a break from cooking).

I would miss being able to make stops on long bike rides though...

It's not just the food I miss on a long ride, I didn't account for all the closed/missing outhouses from my usual routes! McD's is good for a cheap pop and toilet, as well as cold water for the bottles.

[danbrotherston]

For me, going out was always a treat, I usually cook at home, that really hasn't changed. We still order in as a treat from time to time (nice to have a break from cooking).

I would miss being able to make stops on long bike rides though...

It's not just the food I miss on a long ride, I didn't account for all the closed/missing outhouses from my usual routes! McD's is good for a cheap pop and toilet, as well as cold water for the bottles.

Seeing as how this is our point of discusstion this came up in another thread:

Cafe Pyrus Outpost (Roger St, along the Spur Line Trail) has opened what might be the region's first/only "bike through" window - you can roll up to the takeout window directly from the trail: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBOSuB7AAq6/

[clasher]

Might have to swing by and get some espresso.

In other covid news, this cbc article about reproduction rates is a little worrisome but as the article says there might be information that we don't have, and I'm not smart enough to understand all these numbers anyway.

[tomh009]

Might have to swing by and get some espresso.

In other covid news, this cbc article about reproduction rates is a little worrisome but as the article says there might be information that we don't have, and I'm not smart enough to understand all these numbers anyway.

He's talking about R0, but there is no way to actually measure R0 in practice, all you can do is estimate it. It's not clear what data he's using to come up with his number of 1.3. What I can tell from the daily data is that the number of active cases is dropping, albeit slowly now. To me this should mean that each infected person is infecting less than one other one, on average. But maybe this logic is not correct ...

The "counts and rates of COVID-19" map is useless as it shows cases since Day One, not what is going on today, this week or this month. What I can see from the local data is that the number of active cases has dropped 40% in the last 10 days (and 60% in the last 20 days). I would like to see better for all of Ontario, but Waterloo Region appears to be in better shape. (The testing really is quite low, but the positivity rate is admittedly also low.)

[tomh009]

(Sorry, I missed posting a summary yesterday so this is for two days of data.)

Waterloo Region reported 13 cases (6.5/day). The number of LTC facilities with active cases is still at two. The new case increase averaged is 0.55% of the total cases to date and 5.9% of the current active caseload. 109 cases now active in the region, up two, and down 56 in the past seven days. New cases averaging 6.2% of actives over the past seven days.

704 people tested in the region (352/day), with a 1.9% positivity rate. Over the last seven days, we are averaging 321 tests per day and a 2.6% positivity rate.

Ontario reported 251 and 203 new cases, for a seven-day average of 264 new cases. 551+505 recoveries and (only) 11+12 deaths translate to an decrease of 625 active cases for the two days, now down to 3,127, and a weekly total change of -957. A record of 24,341 tests today (and 19,941 yesterday) for a 1.05% positivity rate. The positivity rate is averaging just 1.4% in spite of almost 20,000 tests per day so that is encouraging.

The new cases are 0.7% of the total but 6.8% of the number of active cases. New cases averaging 7.1% of actives over the past seven days.

The hospital population dropped again, to 538 (-62 over two days) while the ICU population was up a few ticks, to 120 (+4 over two days).

The chart shows the progress from the beginning of April until today.