OTTAWA -- Ottawa set a new record for COVID-19 cases in October, but the data showed some positive news for the capital as the month ended.
Ottawa Public Health reported 2,744 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa in October, nearly double the previous high of 1,413 confirmed cases in September. Thirty-nine deaths linked to COVID-19 were also announced in September.
Ottawa set a daily record for new cases in October, with 183 new cases reported on Oct. 8. Public health reported triple-digit increases in COVID-19 cases in Ottawa seven times in October, including 132 new cases on Nov. 1. The Nov. 1 report was for all cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa up to Oct. 31 at 2 p.m.
However, new data released by the Ontario Government on Thursday shows the per capita rate of COVID-19 cases dropped after Ottawa moved to a modified Stage 2 back on Oct. 10.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the COVID-19 cases in Ottawa in October compared to the previous months of the pandemic.
NEW MONTHLY COVID-19 CASE RECORD
There were 2,744 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa in October, along with 39 new deaths linked to the virus.
A total of 737 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in a seven day stretch between Oct. 8 to 14.
The previous monthly record for COVID-19 cases in Ottawa was 1,413 cases in September. There were 22 deaths linked to COVID-19 in Ottawa in September.
COVID-19 CASES BY AGE
Ottawa Public Health data shows Ottawa residents under 30 accounted for 43 per cent of the record 2,744 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in October.
The 20-to-29 age group had the most number of new COVID-19 infections in Ottawa in October, with 569 cases of COVID-19. The 10-to-19 year-old age group was second, with 398 cases.
OTTAWA'S PER CAPITA RATE OF COVID-19 DROPS
Ottawa's top doctor warned in mid-October that Ottawa was the pandemic capital of Ontario, with the highest COVID-19 positivity rate per-capita.
On Oct. 14, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told Council that "Ottawa has the highest rate of people testing positive for COVID-19 in the province."
"Just over the last week, Ottawa had 70 people per 100,000 testing positive. Toronto had 57."
Data released by the Science Advisory and Modelling Consensus Tables last week showed since the Ontario Government moved Ottawa into a modified Stage 2, the COVID-19 per capita rate has dropped in Ottawa.
As of Oct. 24, Ottawa was seeing 47.4 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people. Peel Region was seeing 83.1 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 people, while Toronto was at 72 cases per 100,000.
In a special statement released on Friday, Dr. Etches said, "Ottawa has come a long way since the beginning of October when the modified Stage 2 restrictions were introduced. At that time we were seeing exponential growth of people testing positive for COVID-19, measurements of COVID-19 in wastewater were increasingly concerning, hospitalizations and outbreaks were rising rapidly, and sadly, we were seeing more deaths."
"Because of your actions we are starting to see some stabilization."
Ottawa's seven-day case average fell from 112.9 for the seven days ending Oct. 13 to 79 cases on Oct. 31
