"It's time to double down so we can avoid a third lockdown and COVID-19 wave."
Niagara's acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mustafa Hirji is commenting on the increase in daily cases, as the number jumped to 51 today.
He says while there's no specific reason for the spike, which is about double the average amount, cases have been rising over the past 3 weeks.
Dr. Hirji says sharp increases in cases are likely in coming weeks due to the variants of concern growing across the province and the degree of reopening that has taken place in the province.
Niagara has 118 variant cases confirmed.
He says if Niagara wants to avoid a third wave and lockdown, residents need to double down on staying home as much as possible, and venturing out only for truly essential reasons.
"When we are out, we must be rigorous keeping 2 metres distance from others, wearing our face coverings, and always washing our hands."
There have been 373 deaths in Niagara related to the virus.
Six people are being treated for the virus in hospital in the region.
Over 40,000 doses of the vaccine have been administered so far. Niagara has a population of around 500,000 people.