KITCHENER -- Region of Waterloo Public Health officials reported seven new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total number of local cases to 1,713.

That number includes 1,437 resolved cases and 120 deaths, leaving 156 active cases in the region. Of those, one person is currently in hospital, the region's online COVID-19 dashboard shows.

Remarkably, there have been 43,957 new tests reported since Friday.

During a media briefing on Tuesday, Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang explained that the region had switched its source data on testing numbers in the region, now using a provincial system that includes the testing done in long-term care and retirement homes.

Dr. Wang said that the provincial database had previously been undercounting the numbers, and that, at the time, the local assessment centres were more accurate.

"Now, the reverse is true: these numbers from the provincial database are the most accurate numbers for our region," she said.

The number of active outbreaks in the region dropped on Tuesday, from 10 to seven.

The outbreak at Village at Winston Park long-term care home, where a staff member tested positive, was declared over, as was the outbreak at Lanark Heights long-term care home. That facility had three staff members test positive for the disease.

One of the active outbreaks at a congregate setting was also declared over, as was an outbreak at a child-care setting. There are still seven active outbreaks in the region:

  • One other congregate setting: two residents, two staff
  • Kitchener Collegiate Institute (KCI): one student, one staff
  • One sports and fitness business: three cases
  • One food and beverage service: four cases
  • Three child-care facilities: combined three cases

The child-care category includes one new outbreak.

The Ontario government's website also shows a new case at a school in Cambridge. KidsAbility School Authority had one staff member there test positive for COVID-19.

One day after Ontario reported the highest single-day increase of COVID-19 infections ever, the number of new cases reported on Tuesday dropped to 554.

That brings the province's total number of cases to 51,085, including 43,450 recoveries and 2,844 deaths.