Waterloo Public Health reports lowest number of new COVID-19 cases in over a month

Waterloo Public Health reported 43 new positive tests for the coronavirus on Tuesday, lifting the total number of COVID-19 cases in the area to 14,898.

This is the lowest new number of new cases identified since April 4, when the agency reported 41 new positive tests.

This drops the rolling seven-day average number of new COVID-19 cases down to 58.6.

Last Tuesday the number was 65.7 while a week before that the number was 93.4, so the area continues to see progress in the battle against COVID-19.

Another 74 people were also cleared of the virus, pushing the total number of resolved cases up to 14,181.

No new COVID-19-related deaths have been reported since Saturday, so the death toll remains at 254 including two this month.

There are currently 44 people in hospitals in Waterloo Region, Guelph and Fergus as a result of COVID-19 including 34 people who are in intensive care.

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The region now has 18 COVID-19 outbreaks after new ones were declared at an auto dealership, a manufacturing plant, Coronation Early Learning Child Care in Cambridge and Forest Heights Long Term Care where there are two cases including one involving a staff member with the other being a resident.

The Region’s vaccination clinics were mostly shuttered on Monday due to a lack of supply.

The vaccine distribution task force announced that there have now been 229,677 vaccinations done in the area, only 1,352 more than it reported on Monday.

Elsewhere, Ontario reported 2,073 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday. The provincial total now stands at 497,092.

Tuesday’s case count is a significant drop from Monday’s which saw 2,716 new infections. It is also the lowest single-day increase since March 24.

According to Tuesday’s report, 685 cases were recorded in Toronto, 389 in Peel Region, 231 in York Region and 144 in Durham Region.

All other local public health units reported fewer than 100 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province has risen to 8,342 as 15 more virus-related deaths were recorded.

–With files from Global News; Gabby Rodrigues