Region of Waterloo Public Health declares COVID-19 outbreak in Laurier residence building

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Oct. 27, 2020 – Update: On Oct. 25, 2020, Region of Waterloo Public Health declared this outbreak over.

Oct. 13, 2020
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – As a result of the COVID-19 cases reported to Wilfrid Laurier University this weekend, Region of Waterloo Public Health has declared an outbreak in two floors of the Clara Conrad Hall residence on the university’s Waterloo campus. The identities of the individuals are protected by privacy legislation and will not be shared. At this time, the individuals are in self-isolation and are being monitored by public health.

The university is taking direction about the management of this outbreak from public health, including supporting the contact tracing and isolation of individuals in a specialized quarantine residence building established for this purpose. Public Health has directed that all residents of the designated two floors in Clara Conrad Hall with positive cases will need to isolate for the next two weeks. Anyone else identified as being a high-risk close contact with the individuals will be notified by public health officials directly.

“The health and well being of our students and the Kitchener-Waterloo community are our primary concern,” said Ivan Joseph, Laurier’s Vice-President: Student Affairs. “We will continue to work closely with public health officials to manage this outbreak and to do everything we can to prevent the further spread of the virus.”

Laurier’s priority is the safety of students, staff and faculty. Laurier has implemented stringent protocols and safety measures aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. Campus and residence buildings are strictly controlled and have rigorous standards in place. The Laurier community can also rest assured the university has had protocols for sanitizing and cleaning campus areas in place since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We know this is a time of concern for students and their families and we want to remind them of the supports that are available through our Student Wellness Centres,” said Joseph. “The majority of our students are following health and safety protocols including wearing masks, physically distancing and avoiding gatherings. COVID fatigue is wearing on all of us, but we all have a role to play in keeping our community safe and we must remain vigilant.”

Laurier will continue to provide regular updates regarding any cases that have the potential to affect the health and safety of our community. 

Everyone can do their part to prevent the spread of COVID by avoiding gatherings, staying physically distant and wearing a mask when required. For updates and more information on Laurier’s COVID-19 response and for information about how to prevent the spread of COVID, visit wlu.ca/recovery.