Record number of COVID-19 vaccinations in Waterloo Region on Thursday

With Waterloo Region in the midst of a tough battle with the Delta COVID-19 variant, a record number of vaccinations were done in the area on Thursday.

The region’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force says there were 8,980 vaccinations done in the area on Thursday, well above the previous high of 8,435 jabs given on June 12.

A good portion of these were given as second doses as the task force says there are now 74,195 residents who have been fully vaccinated, 6,485 more than a day earlier.

This means that 12.6 per cent of the population has now received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

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A total of 72.04 per cent of all area residents have received at least one jab so far.

Waterloo Public Heath reported 60 more positive tests for the coronavirus on Friday, lifting the total number of cases in the area to 16,914.

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The seven-day rolling average number of new cases drops slightly to 64.9.

Another 61 people have also been cleared of the virus, pushing the total number of resolved cases to 528.

No new deaths were reported in the area for the second straight day, leaving the death toll in the area at 259, including three more victims in June.

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The number of active cases dips slightly to 528, from the 530 reported 24 hours earlier.

There are currently 51 people in area hospitals, including Guelph and Fergus, 18 of whom are in intensive care.

The area still has nine active outbreaks, including one involving shelters in Kitchener and Waterloo that has swollen to see 100 people catch the virus.

Elsewhere, Ontario reported 345 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, as the province reaches 20 per cent of adults who are fully immunized as well as another new daily milestone for the most shots administered in 24 hours. The provincial case total now stands at 541,525.

Friday’s case count is the fifth straight day cases are below 500. On Thursday, there were 370 new cases with 384 on Wednesday and 293 on Tuesday.

The death toll in the province has risen to 8,994 as one more death was recorded. It is the fewest daily deaths since Oct. 14, 2020, when zero deaths were reported.

—With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues