WATERLOO -- Waterloo Region recorded another 36 COVID-19 cases Tuesday as the province logged its lowest daily increase since late September.

The region saw 30 new infections in the past 24 hours, with six cases added to the ongoing total from previous dates. The latest batch of cases bring Waterloo Region's total to 16,281, with 15,671 cases considered resolved and 345 active.

Since the pandemic began, 256 people have died. The region's latest death was three weeks ago on May 18.

Two more people were hospitalized in the past day, bringing the total number of hospitalizations to 27, with 20 of those people receiving treatment in area intensive care units.There are four active outbreaks in Waterloo Region, according to the health unit's dashboard.

Another four cases were marked as variants as concern, with 3,370 cases now confirmed as variants.

The variant breakdown is as follows:

2,982 are the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the United Kingdom, now known as the Alpha variant

Six are the B.1.315 variant originally detected in South Africa, now referred to as the Beta variant

58 are the P.1. variant initially discovered in Brazil, now called the Gamma variant

12 are the B.1.617 variant first found in India, now dubbed the Delta variant

The test positivity rate in Waterloo Region sits at 4.9, unchanged from Friday's update. The reproductive rate increased to 1.0, up from 0.9 on Friday and 0.8 at this time last week.

Meanwhile, another 6,329 vaccine doses were administered Monday. More than 369,041 vaccine shots have been given out in Waterloo Region.

More than 69.31 per cent of adults have received at least one dose, and 6.35 per cent of people 18+ are fully vaccinated.

Across Ontario, the daily COVID-19 case count dipped below the 500 mark for the first time in just over eight months.

Health officials logged 469 new infections on Tuesday, as well as 18 deaths related to the novel coronavirus.

The total number of lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Ontario now stands 537,076, including deaths and recoveries.

With files from CTV Toronto.