COVID-19 vaccinations continue rapid climb in Waterloo Region

Close to 3,000 people received a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine in Waterloo Region on Thursday, according to the vaccine distribution task force’s numbers.

It reported that there have now been 66,398 doses of vaccine administered, 2,819 more than 24 hours earlier.

This is well above the previous record number of doses (2,460) which had been reported a day earlier.

A total of 8.86 per cent of the population has now received at least one dose of vaccine since the first one was administered on Dec. 22, 2020.

Waterloo Public Health also reported another 35 positive tests for the coronavirus on Friday, lifting the total number of COVID-19 cases in the area to 11,703.

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This pushes the rolling average number of cases in the area up to 35.7.

Another 30 people were also cleared of the virus pushing the total number of resolved cases in the area to 11,195.

For the third straight day, no new COVID-19 related deaths were reported in Waterloo Region, leaving the death toll in the area at 241.

The number of active cases has risen to 261, including 22 people who are in area hospitals, seven of whom are in intensive care.

There continue to be 17 active COVID-19 outbreaks as new ones were declared at St. Michael Catholic Elementary school and at a manufacturing site as others ended at auto sales and retail locations.

Elsewhere, Ontario reported 2,169 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the provincial total to 338,239.

According to Friday’s provincial report, 682 cases were recorded in Toronto, 379 in Peel Region, 254 in York Region, 129 in Ottawa, 123 in Durham Region and 122 in Hamilton.

All other local public health units reported fewer than 70 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province has risen to 7,292 as 12 more deaths were recorded.

–With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues