Another 134 COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo Region as active case count reaches 679

Waterloo Public Health reported 134 new positive tests for the coronavirus on Tuesday, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases in the area to 13,430.

The agency also reported that another 60 people have been cleared of the virus, raising the total number of resolved cases in the area to 12,485.

No new COVID-19-related deaths were reported in the area, leaving the death toll at 247.

The number of active cases has rocketed up to 679 from the 608 reported a day earlier.

In addition, there are also 43 people in area hospitals as a result of COVID-19, including 21 who are in intensive care.

Area hospitals did not say how many of those were from out of region as they will now be providing the numbers in a weekly update on Thursdays.

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Six new COVID-19 outbreaks were announced Tuesday, including three in the manufacturing sector, one in financial services, one at École Secondary Catholic Père-René-De-Galinée and one at a food processing plant where there are 12 cases connected to the outbreak.

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One of the outbreaks in manufacturing was also the site of a previous major outbreak. The unnamed plant had 37 cases connected to an outbreak that lasted from Jan. 1 until Feb. 18.

There have been another 4,135 COVID-19 vaccinations done in Waterloo Region, lifting the total to 151,575.

A total of 23.06 per cent of area residents have now received at least one shot of a vaccine, a number that climbs to 29.23 when those under the age of 18 are excluded.

The minimum goal is to see at least 75 per cent of the population immunized, which would, in theory, achieve herd immunity.

Ontario is reporting 3,469 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The cumulative provincial total now stands at 424,911.

Tuesday’s case count is lower than Monday’s, which saw 4,447 new infections. On Sunday, 4,250 new cases were recorded. It is the first day in a week that cases were not above 4,000.

According to Tuesday’s report, 1,074 cases were recorded in Toronto, 775 in Peel Region, 406 in York Region, 197 in Ottawa and 256 in Durham Region.

All other local public health units reported fewer than 175 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province has risen to 7,757 as 22 more deaths were recorded.

—With files from Global News’ Jess Patton