Waterloo Public Health reported another 36 positive tests for the coronavirus on Friday, lifting the total number of COVID-19 cases in the area to 20,400.
With a substantial increase in the number of positive tests over the past week, the rolling seven-day average number of new cases climbed to 27.6. A week ago, that number was just 16.4.
Another 24 people were also cleared of the virus, as the number of resolved cases in the area has climbed to 19,874.
It has been more than a week since Waterloo Public Health reported a new COVID-19-related death, leaving the death toll in the area at 305 including two victims this November.
The area now has 219 active COVID-19 cases, a number that stood at just 128 a week earlier.
There are also 12 people in area hospitals suffering from COVID-19 including six who are in need of intensive care.
The area also now has 13 active COVID-19 outbreaks after one was declared at Preston Public School in Cambridge and another in a congregate setting while a third was declared to be over at an unnamed place of worship.
On the far end of the spectrum, Waterloo Public Health says there have now been 905,652 COVID-19 vaccinations performed in the region, an increase of 887 since Thursday’s report.
In addition, 449,242 area residents are now fully vaccinated, an increase of 389 over 24 hours earlier.
This means that 76.29 per cent of Waterloo Region residents are now fully vaccinated, a number that climbs to 88.59 per cent when you discount those who are ineligible.
Elsewhere, Ontario reported 598 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, as case counts week over week continue to rise. The provincial case total now stands at 605,846.
For comparison, last Friday saw 563 new cases and the previous Friday saw 419. All three Fridays saw similar testing volumes in the 30,000 range.
Of the 598 new cases recorded, the data showed 298 were unvaccinated people, 24 were partially vaccinated people, 222 were fully vaccinated people and for 54 people the vaccination status was unknown.
According to Friday’s report, 63 cases were recorded in Toronto, 55 in Simcoe Muskoka, 43 each in Peel Region and Windsor-Essex, 37 each in Ottawa and Durham Region, 35 in Southwestern, 32 in York Region. All other local public health units reported fewer than 30 new cases in the provincial report.
The death toll in the province has risen to 9,921 as five more deaths were recorded.
–With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues