Waterloo Region adds eight COVID-19 cases; 75 per cent of total population now fully vaccinated

Waterloo -

Health officials in Waterloo Region logged eight new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday as the region passed another major milestone in the vaccine rollout.

As of Tuesday, more than 75 per cent of the region's entire population is now fully vaccinated.

Another 919 vaccine doses were administered in the region on Monday, bringing the total number of jabs put into arms to 891,886.

More than 78.1 per cent of the entire population has now received at least one dose.

Among the region's eligible population – residents 12 and older – 87.18 per cent are fully vaccinated and 90.77 per cent have received at least one dose.

Meanwhile, the eight new cases reported on Tuesday bring the region's cumulative total to 20,028, including 19,622 resolved infections, 100 active cases and 302 deaths.

Since the pandemic began, 618,801 COVID-19 tests have been processed in Waterloo Region. The community's positivity rate sits at 1.5 per cent, unchanged from Friday. The reproductive rate of the virus is 1.1, up from 1.0 on Friday.

Hospitalizations increased by two in Tuesday's update, up to 12. Intensive care unit admissions also rose by two, up to three.

Two COVID-19 outbreaks were declared on Tuesday. There are now four active outbreaks across the region.

Another 15 COVID-19 infections were confirmed as variant of concern cases on Tuesday.

The breakdown of Waterloo Region's 6,689 variant cases is as follows:

• 3,127 are the Alpha variant
• 21 are the Beta variant
• 98 are the Gamma variant
• 3,161 are the Delta variant
• 262 cases have had a mutation detected, but have not yet had a variant strain confirmed

Meanwhile, Ontario recorded its lowest daily case count in months on Tuesday.

Another 269 COVID-19 cases were logged in the province. The last time Ontario reported fewer than 300 new cases was Aug. 5.

The province's rolling seven-day average now sits at 364, down from 407 last Tuesday.

Ontario has confirmed 598,110 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began.

With files from CTV Toronto.