KITCHENER -- Region of Waterloo Public Health officials have reported another 22 cases of COVID-19, bringing the local total to 773 with 316 recoveries.
That's up from 751 cases and 303 reported on Thursday.
In its Friday update, the region also reported another four deaths. That brings the death toll to 72.
Most of the region's deaths have been concentrated in long-term care and retirement homes.
Those facilities have seen 58 deaths, and also account for 470 of the region's total cases.
There are still active outbreaks at 12 long-term care and retirement homes in the region.
Eleven outbreaks in these places have been declared over.
The region also lists two active outbreaks in congregate settings, and one at St. Mary's General Hospital's fifth-floor Medicine Unit. Three other outbreaks at hospitals have been declared over, too.
Public health officials reported their first municipal breakdown of cases on Friday.
"The number of positive cases in each municipality is skewed based on testing guidance that prioritizes groups and settings at greater risk, including long-term care and retirement homes," the region's website says.
"There is broad circulation of COVID-19 in our community. You should assume you could get COVID-19 anywhere in Waterloo Region."
The region stresses that these numbers may be skewed because of priority testing at long-term care and retirement homes
Kitchener and Woolwich have a high number of outbreak-related cases, for example, because there may be more long-term care and retirement homes affected in those areas.
On Friday, Ontario hit a total of 16,608 confirmed cases of the virus, including 1,121 deaths and 10,825 recoveries.
