18 COVID-19 cases added in Waterloo Region on Wednesday as hospitalizations decline
Health officials in Waterloo Region reported 18 new COVID-19 cases in Wednesday's update as hospitalizations drop.
Of the 18 new cases, 16 are linked to the past 24 hours, while two are from previous reporting periods.
The latest confirmed infections bring Waterloo Region's total caseload to 18,320, including 17,916 resolved cases, 114 active infections and 282 deaths.
Hospitalizations dropped by four in the past day, down from 17 to 13. Of those, 11 people are receiving treatment in area intensive care units.
One more outbreak was declared in the region, with a total of eight COVID-19 outbreaks now considered active.
In Wednesday's report, another 93 infections were confirmed as variant of concern cases, with 89 identified as the Delta variant. Waterloo Region has confirmed 4,672 variant of concern infections since the pandemic began.
Waterloo Region's variant breakdown is as follows:
- 3,122 are the Alpha variant, first identified in the United Kingdom and originally known as B.1.1.7
- 21 are the Beta variant, originally detected in South Africa and previously referred to as B.1.315
- 96 are the Gamma variant, initially discovered in Brazil and labelled as P.1
- 1,172 are the Delta variant, first found in India and previously called B.1.617
- 261 cases have had a mutation detected, but have not yet had a variant strain confirmed
Meanwhile, health partners in the area put another 4,567 vaccine jabs into arms on Tuesday. Across Waterloo Region, 749,124 vaccine doses have been administered.
More than 82.5 per cent of residents 12 and older have now received at least one dose, while 67.52 per cent of the eligible population are fully vaccinated.
On Wednesday, 158 COVID-19 cases and four deaths were confirmed across Ontario.
The seven-day rolling average of daily COVID-19 cases now stands at about 160, up from 155 the previous week.
There have been 549,734 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 identified in the province since the pandemic began.
With files from CTV Toronto.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The kids from 'Mrs. Doubtfire' are all SUPER grown up now, and we're not OK
The adorable trio of child actors from the 1993 classic comedy 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' which starred the late and great Robin Williams, are all grown up and looking back on their seminal time together.
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms
High waters flooded neighborhoods around Houston on Saturday following heavy rains that have already resulted in crews rescuing hundreds of people from homes, rooftops and roads engulfed in murky water.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Canadian Auger-Aliassime reaches first Masters final in Madrid with another walkover
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to his first ATP Masters final, and he hasn't had to play all that much tennis to do it.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.