49 new COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo Region, total rises to 20,833

Waterloo Public Health reported another 49 positive tests for coronavirus on Friday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 infections in the region to 20,833 cases.

This brings the seven-day average of new cases to 32.1, a figure that stood at 29.7 a week earlier.

Another 31 people were also cleared of the virus, bringing the total number of cases resolved in the region to 20,276.

For the first time in three days, no new deaths related to COVID-19 were reported, bringing the death toll to 307, including the four victims in November.

This leaves the region with 248 active COVID-19 cases, 18 more cases reported on Thursday and 29 more than last Friday.

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There are 11 people being treated at regional hospitals as a result of COVID-19, of which four are in intensive care.

The area has returned to 11 active COVID-19 outbreaks after an outbreak connected to Floradale Public Schools ended.

On the other side of the ledger, Waterloo Public Health reports that there have now been 918,694 vaccinations performed in the region, 1,706 more than reported Thursday.

That number will start to increase rapidly again on Monday when the region begins vaccinating people between the ages of 5 and 11 on Friday.

A total of 453,381 residents in the area are now fully vaccinated, a figure just 286 more than announced 24 hours ago.

Elsewhere, Ontario reported 927 new COVID-19 cases on Friday as the number continued to climb weekly, surpassing 900 for the first time since early September. The total number of provincial cases is now 615,197.

By comparison, last Friday had 793 new cases and the previous Friday 598. All three Fridays had similar testing volumes in the 30,000 range.

Of the 927 new cases recorded, data show 467 unvaccinated, 27 partially vaccinated, 378 fully vaccinated, and 55 with unknown vaccination status.

According to Friday’s report, 129 cases were recorded in Toronto, 73 in Simcoe Muskoka, 62 in Windsor-Essex, 54 in Peel Region, 53 in Ottawa and 52 in York Region. All other local public health units reported fewer than 50 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province rose to 9,91 as six more deaths were reported.

– with files from Global News ‘Gabby Rodrigues

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