On Wednesday, Waterloo Public Health reported that there are now 6,797 active COVID-19 cases in the area. A day earlier, that number was reported to be 6,435 while a week ago there were 4,025 active cases across the region.

Of that number, 99 people are in area hospitals due to COVID-19 while 14 of those patients need intensive care.

The agency reported another 510 positive tests for the coronavirus on Wednesday, lifting the total number of cases in the area to 23,659.

This drops the rolling seven-day average number of new daily cases to 544.7.

The agency warns that due to testing availability, case counts on its dashboard are likely lower than the actual number of cases in Waterloo Region.

After three new COVID-19-related deaths were reported over the past two days, none were reported on Wednesday, leaving the death toll at 320, including seven victims this month.

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Another 122 people were also cleared of the virus, lifting the total number of resolved cases in the area to 25,289.

There are now 62 active COVID-19 outbreaks after a pair were declared in unnamed congregate settings as well as in the Village of Winston Park Long Term Care home in Kitchener.

Of the outbreaks, 32 are in long-term care or retirement homes, 24 are in congregate settings and six are in hospitals.

There have now been 1,159,046 COVID-19 vaccinations done in the area, up 4,928 from Tuesday.

Another 4,271 area residents received a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine, lifting that total to 214,261.

Elsewhere, Ontario reported 9,783 new COVID-19 cases, though that is an underestimate of the true widespread transmission of the virus due to recent testing restrictions. The provincial case total now stands at 906,031.

The death toll in the province has risen to 10,445 as 46 more virus-related deaths were added over the past month.

The province says 3,448 people are in hospital with COVID-19 on Wednesday, though just over half of them were initially admitted due to complications with the virus.

The Ontario government recently released data differentiating between those who were admitted to hospital due to a COVID-19-related illness and incidental admissions.

Of the 3,448 people in hospital with COVID-19, which is up by 228 since Tuesday — around 54 per cent of them were admitted because of the virus, while about 46 per cent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for COVID-19.

The province also reported that of the hospitalizations there are 505 people in ICUs, which is up 28 from the previous day. Around 83 per cent of those in intensive care were admitted because of COVID-19, while around 17 per cent were admitted for other reasons.

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