28 new COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo Region; active infections, cases rise
Waterloo Region reported 28 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as active infections and outbreaks rise.
Of the 28 new cases, 27 are linked to the past day and one is from a previous reporting period.
Seven of the latest infections were reported among children nine or younger.
Waterloo Region has now logged 19,162 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, including 18,683 resolved infections and 291 deaths.
Active cases rose by seven in the past 24 hours, now up to 183. Two more COVID-19 outbreaks were declared, bringing the total number of active outbreaks to four.
There are currently six people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Waterloo Region and eight people receiving treatment in area intensive care units.
The Region of Waterloo only counts active, infectious patients in hospitalization numbers, but counts both active and resolved cases in ICU figures. This means ICU numbers can sometimes be higher than hospitalizations.
Eleven more infections were confirmed as variant of concern cases in Thursday's update, bringing the total number of variant cases in the region to 5,158.
Waterloo Region's variant breakdown is as follows:
- 3,134 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
- 98 are the Gamma variant, initially discovered in Brazil and labelled as P.1
- 1,649 are the Delta variant, first found in India and previously called B.1.617
- 256 cases have had a mutation detected, but have not yet had a variant strain confirmed
Health partners have now administered 834,779 COVID-19 vaccine doses, with 1,672 jabs put into arms on Wednesday.
Among the eligible population, 80.47 per cent are fully vaccinated and 86.96 per cent have received at least one dose.
Across Waterloo Region's entire population, 69.30 per cent are fully vaccinated and 74.89 per cent have received at least one dose.
Province-wide, 798 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday.
Of those, 620 cases involve individuals who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status and 178 are in fully vaccinated individuals, according to provincial health officials.
Ontario has now confirmed 9,579 COVID-19-related deaths and 572,130 cases since the pandemic began.
With files from CTV Toronto.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
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.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10,000 Zantac lawsuits in U.S.: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.