Waterloo Region reports one COVID-19 death, 27 new cases
The Region of Waterloo reported one COVID-19-related death and 27 new cases on Wednesday as hospitalizations declined.
The latest death, a woman in her 60s, brings the region's total death toll to 293.
Since the pandemic began, 19,313 cases have been logged in Waterloo Region. The overall case count only increased by 26 on Wednesday due to a data cleanup.
Of those, 18,817 infections are considered resolved and 199 are active.
Hospitalizations decreased by five in the past day, down from 13 to eight. The number of people receiving treatment in area intensive care units also declined, down from nine to six.
One COVID-19 outbreak was declared resolved in Wednesday's update. There are now five active outbreaks across Waterloo Region.
Another 61 infections were confirmed as variant of concern cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of variant cases to 6,095.
On Tuesday, Region of Waterloo Public Health updated their variant reporting and will now include all suspected and confirmed Delta variant cases in its dashboard.
The region's variant breakdown is as follows:
- 3,128 are the Alpha variant, first identified in the United Kingdom and originally known as B.1.1.7
- 21 are the Beta variant, originally detected in South Africa and previously referred to as B.1.315
- 98 are the Gamma variant, initially discovered in Brazil and labelled as P.1
- 2,586 are the Delta variant, first found in India and previously called B.1.617
- 262 cases have had a mutation detected, but have not yet had a variant strain confirmed
Meanwhile, health partners across the region have now administered 841,558 COVID-19 vaccine doses, with 1,066 jabs put into arms on Tuesday.
Among the eligible population – residents 12 and older – 81.27 per cent are fully vaccinated and 87.52 per cent have received at least one dose.
Across Waterloo Region's entire population, 69.98 per cent are fully vaccinated and 75.37 per cent have received at least one dose.
Province-wide, 593 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Wednesday.
Ontario's rolling seven-day average is down to 722, compared to 732 one week ago.
Of the new infections logged Wednesday, 447 involved unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals, or people whose vaccination status was unknown. Another 146 infections were among fully vaccinated people.
Ontario has now confirmed 9,629 COVID-19-related deaths and 576,389 cases since the pandemic began.
With files from CTV Toronto.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.