1,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 in Ottawa during the pandemic

One-thousand Ottawa residents have now died due to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic nearly three years ago.

Ottawa Public Health reported six new deaths linked to COVID-19 since Tuesday, bringing the city's death toll to 1,000 residents since March 2020.

Of the 1,000 deaths linked to COVID-19 in Ottawa, 349 deaths involved residents aged 80 to 89, 294 deaths of residents over the age of 90 and 200 deaths involving residents aged 70 to 79.

Ottawa's top doctor warns COVID-19 is still circulating in Ottawa, and residents need to adjust their behaviour to that level.

"I do think that we need to remember that COVID is still a serious infection for many people, and our actions are all connected," Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told CTV Morning Live on Friday. "So the simple things we can do like wearing a mask on transit, wearing a mask in the grocery store – we want to adopt those behaviours again when the levels are high, like now."

The six new deaths comes as Ottawa Public Health reports high levels of COVID-19, influenza and RSV circulating in Ottawa. Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches is urging residents to "refocus" on the tools they know to limit the spread of viruses, including masking in indoor settings, limiting the size of gatherings and staying home when you are sick.

There are 26 Ottawa residents in hospital with an active COVID-19 infection, down from 34 on Tuesday. Four people are in the intensive care unit with an active COVID-19 infection.

OPH hospitalization figures only represent Ottawa residents who are in hospital because of an active case of COVID-19. Local hospitals report higher figures, which include patients who were admitted for reasons other than COVID-19 but have tested positive and patients who are not from Ottawa.

• The Ottawa Hospital: 53 patients
• Queensway Carleton Hospital: 17 patients
• Montfort Hospital: 9 patients (As of Tuesday, Jan. 10)
• CHEO: 4 patients

Ottawa Public Health reported 159 new cases of COVID-19 since Tuesday.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa in March 2020, there have been 88,515 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 1,000 deaths. There were 376 COVID-19 deaths reported in 2022, compared to 228 in 2021 and 381 in 2020.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS

• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (Jan. 2 to 8): 34.4
• Seven-day average of positivity rate in the Ottawa community, including long-term care: 17.7 per cent
• Known active cases: 562

COVID-19 VACCINES IN OTTAWA

Updated Jan. 9

• Ottawa residents with 1 dose (5+): 925,074
• Ottawa residents with 2 doses (5+): 891,658
• Ottawa residents with 3 doses (5+): 614,438
• Ottawa residents with 4 doses (12+): 329,890
• Share of population five and older with at least one dose: 93 per cent
• Share of population five and older with at least two doses: 90 per cent
• Share of population five and older with at least three doses: 62 per cent
• Share of population 12 and older with at least four doses: 36 per cent

*Statistics on Ottawa residents with one or more doses include anyone with an Ottawa postal code who was vaccinated anywhere in Ontario.

AROUND THE REGION

• Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 7 in hospital, 2 in ICU (as of Jan. 10)
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 10 in hospital, 0 in ICU (As of Jan. 10)
• Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 25 in hospital, 2 in ICU (As of Jan. 10)
• Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit: 10 in hospital, 3 in ICU (As of Jan. 9)
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 4 in hospital, 1 in ICU (Updated on Thursdays)
• Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 98 in hospital, 1 in ICU (As of Jan. 5)

COVID-19 OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is currently reporting active outbreaks in the following locations

• 4 in hospitals
• 7 in long-term care homes
• 14 in retirement homes
• 1 in congregate care facilities
• 1 in a shelter
• 2 in a group home

INFLUENZA OUTBREAKS

• 1 in a hospital

OTHER ONGOING RESPIRATORY OUTBREAKS

• 3 in long-term care homes
• 1 in a school

A full list of locations with active outbreaks is available on OPH's outbreak dashboard.