Region of Waterloo investigating strong probability of Omicron cases associated with two hockey tournaments

Waterloo Region – Region of Waterloo Public Health is reporting the strong probability that two COVID-19 hockey tournament outbreaks it is investigating involving local players is associated with the Omicron variant. Public Health is following up with hockey players and all high-risk contacts to advise them to stay at home and quarantine until the test results are available.

Eleven cases of COVID-19 are linked to a hockey tournament in London that was attended by the Hespeler Shamrocks Hockey Team. Twenty cases are linked to another hockey tournament in the Ajax/Markham area that was attended by the Cambridge Roadrunners.

Public Health is waiting for the results of whole genomic sequencing; however, the likelihood that these are Omicron clusters is very high. This is because four of the COVID-19 cases on the Hespeler Shamrocks Team and one on the Cambridge Roadrunners Team have screened positive for a marker that increases the likelihood that it’s the Omicron variant, and there are a high number of cases already associated with these outbreaks. Omicron cases have been reported in many other parts of the province.

“It is highly likely that the new Omicron variant is already here in Waterloo Region, and we expect that it will spread quickly,” said Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang, Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Waterloo. “We know that the best defense against COVID-19 and the new Omicron variant is to get vaccinated and follow public health precautions. At this time of heightened risk, we are also advising residents to reduce non-essential social contacts.”

Residents who are not fully vaccinated are encouraged to book an appointment to get their first or second dose as soon as possible, and when they are eligible, to get a third dose six months (168 days) after their second dose.  Appointments can be booked at participating pharmacies and doctors' offices, or at a Waterloo Region clinic on the Region of Waterloo website: regionofwaterloo/GetaVaccine

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