For the first time since last year, Waterloo Public is reporting fewer than 20 new positive cases of COVID-19.
On Tuesday, the agency reported just 12 new positive tests for the coronavirus, raising the total number of COVID-19 cases to 17,802 locally, to date.
This is the lowest number of new cases reported in a single day since Oct. 28 of last year, when eight cases were reported.
The last time fewer than 20 new cases were reported was on Nov. 1, 2020, when 17 cases were reported.
The rolling seven day average number of new cases drops down to 39.9. A week ago, the average was 55 per day.
Another 52 people were cleared of the virus, pushing the number of resolved cases in the area to 17,201.
There were no new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the area, leaving the death toll at 272 including seven this month.
This drops the number of active cases down to 318, well below the 457 reported last Thursday.
However, there are 48 people in area hospitals as a result of COVID-19 including 24 who are in need of intensive care.
There are now 21 COVID-19 outbreaks after two new outbreaks were declared at Grand River Hospital and two others in community support and auto sales.
Other outbreaks came to an end at manufacturing and retail locations.
The region’s vaccine distribution task force reported there have now been 598,008 vaccinations in the area, 8,440 more than on Monday.
The number of residents fully vaccinated increased by 7,490 to 204,282 which means that 34.69 per cent of the population is now vaccinated.
A total of 67.37 per cent of Waterloo Region’s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Elsewhere, Ontario reported 164 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, marking the smallest daily increase in nearly 10 months.
However, 80 cases from Toronto in 2020 were added to the count which officially registered 244 cases for Tuesday. The provincial case total now stands at 546,217.
Tuesday’s case count is the lowest since Sept. 9 and is the second day in a row cases have been below 200.
According to Tuesday’s report, 112 cases were recorded in Toronto (80 from last year), 26 in Peel Region, 25 in Waterloo Region, 13 in York Region and 10 in Grey Bruce.
The variance between the province and region is due to the fact they collect their data at different time points.
All other local public health units reported fewer than 10 new cases in the provincial report.
The death toll in the province has risen to 9,224 as nine more deaths were recorded.
–With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues