KITCHENER -- Region of Waterloo Public Health reported 88 more cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, as well as another death in the region.

There have now been 3,751 cases in Waterloo Region since the pandemic began, up from the 3,663 reported the day before. It's the second-highest single-day increase ever reported in the region, just behind the 90 cases reported on Nov. 27.

The latest fatality brings the region's death toll to 126. Five people have died in the last month, the region's online COVID-19 dashboard shows.

Another 81 cases were listed as resolved on Wednesday, bringing that total to 3,057. The region's dashboard shows that 560 active cases remain. When accounting for the number of total, resolved and deceased cases, information on eight cases is outstanding.

The number of people in hospital also rose to 33, including 10 people who are being cared for in an intensive care unit.

Active COVID-19 outbreaks in the region dropped by one on Wednesday to 24. Outbreaks at Centennial Public School and a dance-class were declared over, while the region added one more at a fire station.

The City of Cambridge announced that outbreak on Tuesday, saying that two firefighters had tested positive, but noting that the fire department's ability to respond to emergencies would not be impacted.

SPIKE IN DEATHS ACROSS ONTARIO

Across the province there was a spike in COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, with the province reporting that 35 more Ontarians had died from COVID-19.

The province’s epidemiology report showed that 22 of the 35 people who died were people living in long-term care homes. In total, 3,698 people in the province have died since the pandemic first hit Ontario.

Ontario public health officials also reported more than 1,700 cases of COVID-19 for the sixth straight day. That brings the total number of cases to 119,922, including 101,698 recoveries and the previously mentioned deaths.