49 new COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo Region as total rises to 20,963

Waterloo Public Health reported another 49 positive tests for the coronavirus on Wednesday, lifting the total number of COVID-19 cases in the area to 20,963.

This lifts the rolling seven-day average number of new daily cases back up to 28.7.

Another 42 people were also cleared of the virus, pushing the total number of resolved cases in the area to 20,416.

It has been nearly a week since a new COVID-19-related death was reported in the region, as the death toll remains at 307 including four victims in November.

This leaves the area with 238 active COVID-19 cases, up seven from Tuesday and six from a week ago.

There are still 11 people in area hospitals as a result of COVID-19, unchanged from Tuesday. Six of the patients are in need of intensive care.

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There also remain 10 active COVID-19 outbreaks although new ones were declared at Cedar Creek Public School in Ayr, Ont., and at an unnamed construction site while others connected to hockey and the trades have come to an end.

On the flip side of the coin, Waterloo Public Health says there have now been 929,621 COVID-19 vaccinations done in the area, which is 1,795 more than was reported on Tuesday.

Only 221 of those were people getting a second dose as there have now been 454,276 Waterloo Region residents who have had two jabs of vaccine.

This means that 75.06 per cent of all residents are now fully vaccinated including 13.53 per cent of all children aged five to 11.

Elsewhere, Ontario reported 780 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, as the counts continue to rise week over week. The provincial case total now stands at 619,270.

Of the 780 new cases recorded, the data showed 369 were unvaccinated people, 24 were partially vaccinated people, 336 were fully vaccinated people and for 51 people the vaccination status was unknown.

According to Wednesday’s report, 96 cases were recorded in Toronto, 88 in Windsor-Essex, 64 in Simcoe Muskoka, 56 in Sudbury, 44 in Ottawa and 43 in Waterloo. All other local public health units reported fewer than 40 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province has risen to 10,005 as five more deaths were reported.

 – with files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues