Waterloo Region adds 26 COVID-19 cases on Friday

Waterloo -

Health officials in Waterloo Region recorded 26 new COVID-19 cases in Friday's update, as the region's test positivity rate continues to rise.

Of the new infections, 21 are linked to the past day and five are from previous reporting periods.

The region has now logged 20,083 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, including 19,659 resolved infections, 120 active cases and 303 deaths.

Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 COVID-19 tests were processed in the region since Tuesday, bringing the total number of completed tests to 620,848.

As of Friday, the region's seven-day rolling positivity rate sits at 1.7 per cent, up from 1.5 per cent on Tuesday.

The reproductive rate of the virus remains unchanged at 1.1.

Hospitalizations increased by one on Friday, up to 12. Intensive care unit admissions decreased by one, down to two.

Another two COVID-19 outbreaks were declared in Friday's update. There are now seven active outbreaks across Waterloo Region.

Twenty-four more infections were identified as variant of concern cases on Friday.

The breakdown of the region's 6,728 lab-confirmed variant cases is as follows:

• 3,127 are the Alpha variant
• 21 are the Beta variant
• 98 are the Gamma variant
• 3,220 are the Delta variant
• 262 cases have had a mutation detected, but have not yet had a variant strain confirmed

On Thursday, another 682 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered in the region, bringing the total number of jabs put into arms to 894,129.

More than 87.4 per cent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated and 90.90 per cent have received at least one dose.

Among the region's entire population, 75.33 per cent is fully vaccinated and 78.28 per cent have received at least one dose.

Region of Waterloo Public Health is now reporting the impact of COVID-19 vaccines in the region on its dashboard.

Between Dec. 22, 2020 and Oct. 27, 2021, public health says vaccines have prevented 6,966 cases, 742 hospitalizations, 785 cases with severe outcomes and 136 deaths.

In that same period, 721 of the region's hospital admissions have been among unvaccinated individuals. Another 86 have been among partially vaccinated people and 28 among fully vaccinated people.

Only four ICU admissions since Dec. 22, 2020 have been among fully vaccinated individuals, with 22 in partially vaccinated people and 164 among unvaccinated people.

Province-wide, health officials reported 419 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and no new deaths.

Ontario has confirmed 599,259 COVID-19 cases and 9,865 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began.

With files from CTV Toronto.