KITCHENER -- Region of Waterloo Public Health reported 32 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the region's total to 11,158.

That number includes 10,585 resolved cases and 236 deaths.

Of the region's cases, 179 have been identified as variants of concern. Fifteen of those have been identified as the B.1.1.7 variant, which was first discovered in the U.K.

There are 324 active cases in the region. Of those, 34 are in hospital, including eight who are being cared for in the ICU.

Public health officials ended four active outbreaks. There are still 21 in the region, including five at congregate settings, five in long-term care and retirement homes, four in hospitals, three in workplaces, two in schools and one each in child care and independent living settings.

So far, the region has administered more than 41,600 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. About 4.8 per cent of the population has received one dose so far.

The region's seven-day rolling average number of vaccines given per day is about 1,100.

Across the province there were more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases reported for the fifth straight day on Thursday.

The 1,092 cases brought the province's seven-day average to 1,251, up from 1,063 a week ago.

With more than 60,000 tests completed in Ontario in the 24 hours before Thursday's update, the province's positivity rate was about 2.4 per cent.

To date, more than 7,100 people have died from COVID-19 in Ontario since the pandemic began.