498 new cases COVID-19 cases

Waterloo Region is reporting 498 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths in its weekly update. The total case count reached 49,374 in the Friday update. Hospitalizations stood at 54 (an increase of four pa- tients since last week), including seven people in intensive care. There are currently 30 active out- breaks in high-risk settings, up from 20 last week, including 19 in long-term care or retirement homes, eight in congregate settings, and three in hospitals. The four deaths reported this week bring the total number of COVID deaths in the region since the pandemic began in 2020 to 444. There are 516 active cases, up 103 from last week’s statistics. The number of new cases does not capture all infections be- cause testing in Ontario is limited to those at highest risk of infection by the coronavirus.