Another 61 COVID-19 cases reported in Waterloo Region
Region of Waterloo Public Health is reporting 61 new cases of COVID-19, continuing a trend of rising infections officials say could put moving into step two of the province's reopening plan on hold.
The Saturday afternoon online dashboard update also shows 57 more cases now considered resolved and the active case count drop by one.
There have been no new related deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
Three more people have been hospitalized with the virus, with two more being treated in area ICUs.
Health officials have identified ten more cases as variants of concern, with three being the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7, first detected in the U.K.) and seven as the Delta (B.1.617, first detected in India).
On Friday, the public health unit confirmed that the Delta variant is now the dominant strain in Waterloo Region.
The number of active facility outbreaks in the area remains unchanged.
This brings the Waterloo Region COVID-19 totals to 16,975 confirmed cases, 16,170 resolved, 259 deaths, 527 active cases, 57 hospitalized, 20 in the ICU, nine active outbreaks, 3,527 variants of concern, 3,066 Alphas, 83 Deltas, 11 Beta variants (B.1.351, first detected in South Africa), and 60 Gamma variants (P.1., first detected in Brazil).
OVER 9,000 COVID-19 DEATHS IN ONTARIO
In Ontario, health officials logged 355 new cases of COVID-19 and 13 more deaths, bringing the province's death toll to 9,007.
The province, which records COVID-19 cases at a different rate of time than the local health officials, also reported that 54 cases were in Waterloo Region. Only Toronto had more cases in the past 24 hours at 58.
On Wednesday and Friday, Waterloo Region had the most cases in the province.
The seven-day average rate of cases per 100,000 people for Ontario currently sits at 2.3. Meanwhile, Waterloo Region's rate is 10.5.
VACCINATION EFFORTS RAMP UP
Speeding up second dose COVID-19 vaccinations in Waterloo Region was the focus of Friday's Public Health briefing.
The least vaccine numbers for the area show just over 73 per cent of adults having received their first shot, with 16 per cent fully vaccinated.
For Toronto, Saturday marked a milestone of 75 per cent of residents now having received their first dose and 25 per cent being fully vaccinated.
At Breslau Pharmacy and Wellness Centre, more second doses have been administered in the past few weeks, and more are expected in the coming weeks.
"I think we've got the first two, three weeks if not the next month fully booked," said pharmacist Khrystine Waked. "Pharmacists are obviously very available throughout the region, very conveniently located in many different neighbourhoods, so it's more of a conveience factor for patients to pop into their pharmacy and get their shots much quicker so we can be all protected."
Waterloo Region's vaccination task force has also added a pop-up clinic at Public Health headquarters in Waterloo for the weekend. The 400 appointments that were available were booked shortly after being opened.
The task force says they will be soon offer more mobile clinics, extended hours as the mass vaccination clinic, and a self appointment booking system expected to launch Monday to help people move up their second dose appointments.
With reporting from CTV Kitchener's Krista Simpson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
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.
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.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.