51 new COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo Region on Friday

Waterloo Public Health reported 51 new positive tests for COVID-19 on Friday, increasing the total number of cases in the area to 21,322.

This marks the biggest one-day increase in new cases since the end of June. It also pushes the rolling seven-day average number of new daily cases up to 43.1. Just a week ago, that number was 26.7.

Another 43 people were cleared of the virus, lifting the total number of resolved cases in the area to 21,322.

There have been no new COVID-19-related deaths reported in the area since Tuesday, leaving the death toll at 309, including two victims this month.

The region has 357 active COVID-19 cases, which is well above the 230 reported last Friday.

3:41 COVID-19: Canadian officials advise small gatherings, travel within Canada for holidays amid Omicron variant

There are 11 people in area hospitals, including three who are in need of intensive care.

The number of active COVID-19 outbreaks fell to 15 after one at Cedar Creek Public School in Ayr was resolved.

On the other side of the ledger, Waterloo Public Health reports there have been 949,525 COVID-19 vaccinations done in the region.

A total of 456,245 have also had two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, which means that 75.38 per cent of area residents are fully vaccinated.

In addition, 31,133 of those people have had a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, an increase of 1,404 from Thursday.

Ontario has reported 1,453 new COVID cases, the highest daily count since the end of May. The provincial case total now stands at 629,064.

According to Friday’s report, 195 cases were recorded in Toronto, 109 in Ottawa, 95 in the Kingston area, 91 in York Region, 89 each in Windsor-Essex and Peel Region, 73 in Simcoe Muskoka, and 68 in Halton. All other local public health units reported fewer than 65 new cases in the provincial report.

The death toll in the province has risen to 10,064 as 11 more deaths were reported.

*With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues