OTTAWA -- The City of Ottawa has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 this month, with the 20 to 29 age group accounting for nearly one-third of the total number of cases.
Nintey new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Monday. Fifty-eight new cases were reported on Sunday, while 45 were reported on Saturday.
Since Sept 1. Ottawa Public Health has reported 1,178 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 15 deaths linked to the virus. The 1,178 monthly cases matches the highest monthly total since the start of the pandemic.
Statistics available on the Ottawa Public Health website shows 324 of the 1,088 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa this month are in people ages to 20 to 29.
A total of 161 people ages 10 to 19 and 168 people ages 30 to 39 have tested positive for COVID-19 in Ottawa in September.
Earlier this week, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said many of the people testing positive for COVID-19 are in the 20 to 39 age group.
"Forty per cent of people aged 20 to 39 who became ill in recent weeks acquired COVID-19 while in close contact with someone outside their household," writes Etches in a statement posted to the Ottawa Public Health website.
"Common examples including indoor social gatherings such as parties, gatherings at cottages and Airbnbs, and outdoor gatherings where people are close together."
Ottawa set a one-day record for cases during the pandemic with 93 cases on Tuesday, Sept. 21. Eighty-two new cases were reported on Thursday.
The 1,178 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa in September matches the highest monthly total of new novel coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. There were 1,178 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in April.
On Sept. 18, Dr. Etches confirmed Ottawa is now in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We're seeing a rise in cases and it's the speed of the increase that concerns us," said Dr. Etches after meeting with Premier Doug Ford.
"We can't sustain a rapid rise in cases, we need to be able to keep it to a manageable level."
As of Monday, Ottawa Public Health had declared COVID-19 outbreaks in nine Ottawa schools.
