KITCHENER -- Region of Waterloo Public Health reported another 69 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, as well as another death. The news came as the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were administered in Ontario and Quebec.

Monday's new infections represent the third-highest single-day increase in cases that the region has seen this month. Back on Dec. 1, officials reported 96 new cases, while on Dec. 10 they reported 91.

The latest update brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in the region to 4,529, the bulk of which have come since the start of November. At the start of that month, there were fewer than 2,200 cases in the region.

The new total also includes 3,923 resolved cases—a number that rose by 51 on Monday—and 135 deaths.

There have been 12 COVID-19-related deaths in the region in the past three weeks.

That leaves 469 active cases in the region. Of those, the region's online dashboard shows that there are 27 patient in hospital, including 12 who are being cared for in the ICU.

The state of outbreaks in the region remained mostly steady on Monday, with the number of active ones staying at 26.

The region's outbreak with the most cases grew again, however. Cambridge Country Manor LTC saw its number of cases rise to 32 in residents and 16 in staff. Village of Winston Park retirement home also saw its number of cases in residents grow from seven to 11.

FIRST VACCINES ADMINISTERED

Monday's update came as the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine began rolling out in Ontario, one day ahead of schedule.

Personal support worker Anita Quidangen got the first shot at the University Health Network in Toronto, as did four of her colleagues who worked with her at a long-term care facility there.

The government plans on vaccinating 3,000 people using the 6,000 doses received. Another 90,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive in Ontario this month, with a total of 2.4 million doses due through the first three months of next year.

That will be enough to vaccinate 1.2 million people.

Across the province there were 1,940 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Monday, a jump from the day before, when 1,677 cases were reported.