8 cases of COVID-19 identified in Waterloo region

Two new cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Waterloo region as of Sunday morning, bringing the total number of cases in the region to eight.

Case number seven is a man in his 60s who was tested at St. Mary's General Hospital, said the region's acting medical officer of healthDr. Hsiu-Li Wang Sunday. The man is a close contact of one of the region's earliercases, she said.

Case number eight is a man in his 20swho was also tested at St. Mary's General Hospital, Dr. Wang said. Both individuals are self-isolating, she said.

Further information about the two new cases is expected Monday morning.

Details of sixth case released Saturday

As of Saturday morning, provincial health authorities had confirmed six cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in Waterloo region.

The sixth person is a man in his 50s, who is the spouse ofa woman who became sick after returning home from a cruisein Puerto Rico earlier this month.She wasthesecond casein the region.

The man went to St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener for testing. He is currently is in self-isolationat home.

The province publishes new updates twice a day, morning and afternoon, on its website.

Also announced Saturday, is a positive case from Huron Perth Public Health.

Patient on cruise

A man in his 40swas the fifth person with coronavirus in Waterloo region. Health officials have issued a warning to people who may have come into contact with him while he was on a cruise and a flight from Fort Lauderdale on March 6.

Region of Waterloo Public Health says the man was on board theCelebrity Silhouette cruise that leftFort Lauderdale on February 23. The cruise made stops in:St Croix, Antigua and Barbuda,St Lucia, Grenada,Barbados, St Vincent andThe Grenadines, and St Kitts andNevis.

The man developed symptoms on March 1.

The cruise ended on March 6 in Fort Lauderdale and the man then flew from Fort Lauderdale to Toronto Pearson International Airport on Air Transat Flight 571 on March 6.

"Flight passengers in rows 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 are asked to self-isolate for 14 days," public health said in a release Friday night. "All other passengers on the flight are asked to self-monitor for symptoms and call their local public health unit if they develop symptoms."

The man contacted public health on March 10 and went to St. Mary's Hospital in Kitchener for testing. He was told to self-isolate.

"He is being monitored by public health staff," the regionsaid.