41 new COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo Region Thursday

Waterloo Public Health reported 41 new positive tests for the coronavirus on Thursday, lifting the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the area to 20,569.

This lifts the rolling seven-day average number of new daily cases back up to 29.3. Two weeks ago, that number came in at 17.1.

The agency also announced that another 31 people were cleared of the virus, pushing the total number of resolved cases up to 20,052.

It has now been more than two weeks since a new COVID-19 related death has been reported in the area, leaving the death toll at 305 including two victims in November.

The area is back up to having 14 people in area hospitals who are suffering from COVID-19, including two patients who are in need of intensive care.

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It is also back down to having 12 COVID-19 outbreaks after one was declared over at  École élémentaire L’Harmonie in Waterloo while another one also ended at Chartwell Terrace in Waterloo.

On the flip side of the coin, Waterloo Public Health reports that there have now been 910,049 vaccinations done in the area, 775 more than it reported on Wednesday.

It also says that 451,181 area residents are now fully vaccinated, which is an increase of 342 over what was reported 24 hours earlier.

This means that 76.62 per cent of area residents are now fully vaccinated, a number that climbs to 88.97 per cent when one discounts those under the age of 12 who are not eligible to be vaccinated.

Elsewhere, Ontario reported 711 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the largest increase in cases since Sept. 24 when 727 cases were recorded. The provincial case total now stands at 609,429.

For comparison, last Thursday saw 642 new cases and the previous Thursday saw 438. All three Thursdays saw similar testing volumes in the 30,000 range.

Of the 711 new cases recorded, the data showed 322 were unvaccinated people, 28 were partially vaccinated people, 314 were fully vaccinated people and for 47 people the vaccination status was unknown.

According to Thursday’s report, 74 cases were recorded in Toronto, 71 in Windsor-Essex, 67 in Simcoe-Muskoka, 42 in Ottawa, 40 in Peel Region, 39 in York Region and 37 each in Waterloo and KFLA. All other local public health units reported fewer than 35 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province has risen to 9,955 as five more deaths were reported.