Waterloo Public Health announced a record number of COVID-19 cases for one day in the region as it also reported a second death in the last four days.
In all, 78 more Waterloo Region residents have tested positive for the coronavirus as the total number of cases rises to 3,217.
“Today we are reporting our highest day of new reported cases,” Waterloo’s medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang told Global News.
“Waterloo Region residents are reminded that COVID-19 should be considered to be widely circulating in our community right now.”
A resident of the Village Manor in St. Jacobs becomes the 124th COVID-19-related casualty in Waterloo since the pandemic arrived in the area back in March.
“I am also saddened to report that we have had another death related to COVID-19,” Wang said. “The individual was a male in their 80s, was hospitalized and had other contributing health factors. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.”
With the rising number of cases, Wang issued a plea to residents to remain at home unless they have no other options.
“As our case numbers continue to rise, I am asking residents to only go out for essential purposes and to limit their social interactions to only those within their own households,” she said. “To turn the tide of rising case rates, we need to dramatically reduce our non-essential social interactions now.”
Another 57 people have also been cleared of the virus, raising the total number of resolved cases to 2,688.
There are currently 404 active cases in the area including 22 people who are in hospital, 11 of which are in ICU.
Waterloo Public Health also reported five new outbreaks on Wednesday including two in offices, two in manufacturing and one in the food and beverage industry.
The outbreak connected to the Algarve Restaurant in Kitchener has been declared over. Forty-one people who tested positive for the coronavirus were connected to the outbreak which began on Nov. 8.
Outbreaks were also declared over in an industrial setting and one related to trades, leaving the area with 20 active outbreaks.
Ontario reported 1,373 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the provincial total to 107,883.
Wednesday’s case count is an increase from Tuesday’s which saw 1,009 cases, although that was an underestimation due to technical issues, the Ontario government said. On Monday, 1,589 cases were recorded, an overestimation on that day.
The death toll in the province has risen to 3,554 as 35 more deaths were reported — the highest increase in deaths in the second wave.
*With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues