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
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.