Waterloo Region’s public health unit is reporting 114 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, raising its total case count to 12,939 during the pandemic.
The region has also confirmed its first case of the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa.
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Active cases increased by 48 from the previous day to 639 and another fatal case has been confirmed, raising the death toll to 246.
Among the active cases, there are 31 being treated in a hospital, with 13 in intensive care.
Another 65 people have been cleared of the virus, lifting the total number of resolved cases to 12,038.
Two new COVID-19 outbreaks have been declared — at St. Anne Catholic Elementary school and at an unnamed trucking business — raising the number of active outbreaks to 18.
The region’s vaccine distribution task force says 123,446 vaccinations have been done in the region, 3,460 more than what it reported on Tuesday.
At least 18.31 per cent of Waterloo Region residents have now received at least one dose of vaccine.
Meanwhile, Ontario is reporting 4,156 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, bringing the provincial total to 398,835.
The death toll in the province has risen to 7,610 as 28 more deaths were recorded — the largest increase in deaths since mid-February and a third-wave high.
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Ontario reported 1,877 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 (up by 55 from the previous day) with an all-time high of 642 patients in intensive care units (up by 16) and 442 patients in ICUs on a ventilator (up by 20).
Active cases in Ontario now stand at 36,808 — up from the previous day when the figure was 35,840, and up from April 7 when it was 27,359. At the peak of the second-wave coronavirus surge in January, active cases hit just above 30,000.
— With files from Global News’ Gabby Rodrigues