OTTAWA -- The city of Ottawa is seeing a spike in new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, just days before the stay-at-home order is set to be lifted.

Ottawa Public Health reported 56 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, the highest one-day total this week.

No new deaths linked to COVID-19 were announced on Thursday.

The 56 new cases follows 26 new cases in Ottawa on Wednesday, 25 new cases on Tuesday and 38 cases on Monday.

The last time Ottawa Public Health reported more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa was Jan. 21, when 180 new cases were announced.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, there have been 13,815 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 428 deaths.

Across Ontario, there are 945 new cases of COVID-19. Officials said the numbers are “underestimated” due to further data migration at Toronto Public Health.

The Ontario government announced this week the stay-at-home order for Ottawa and Eastern Ontario Health Unit will be lifted on Feb. 16.

OTTAWA'S COVID-19 KEY STATISTICS

Ottawa Public Health moved Ottawa into its red zone in early January.

A provincial stay-at-home order has been in effect since Jan. 14, 2021. It ends at 12:01 a.m. Feb 16.

Ottawa Public Health data:

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 30.8 (up from 30.7 on Wednesday)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.5 per cent (Feb. 3 to 9)
  • Reproduction number: 1.09 (seven day average)

Reproduction values greater than 1 indicate the virus is spreading and each case infects more than one contact. If it is less than 1, it means spread is slowing. 

The Orange-Restrict category of Ontario's COVID-19 framework includes a weekly rate of cases per 100,000 between 25 to 39.9, a percent positivity of 1.3 to 2.4 per cent, and a reproduction number of approximately 1 to 1.1. 

VACCINES

As of Feb. 10

  • Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 34,744*
  • Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses delivered to Ottawa: 30,225
  • Moderna vaccine doses delivered to Ottawa: 4,000

*OPH says staff were able to extract additional doses out of several vials, which were given to residents. In a statement on its dashboard, OPH said, "Vaccine inventory is based on an expected 5 dose per vial supply. Occasionally, an additional dose (6th dose) is successfully extracted and administered to clients."

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa increased slightly on Thursday. Ottawa Public Health reported 413 active cases of COVID-19, up from 402 active cases on Wednesday.

Ottawa Public Health reported 45 newly resolved cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday. A total 12,974 people have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19.

The number of active cases is the number of total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.

 

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 has dropped to its lowest level since early January.

OPH says there are 19 people in hospital with COVID-19.  

Four people remain in intensive care.

Of the people in hospital, one is in their 30s, one is in their 40s (this person is in the ICU), four are in their 50s, four are in their 60s, three are in their 70s (two in the ICU), four are in their 80s (one is in the ICU), and two are 90 or older.

CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: 11 new cases (1,015 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: Eight new case (1,701 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 13 new cases (2,950 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: 12 new cases (1,935 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: Four new cases (1,801 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: Four new cases (1,664 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: Four new cases (1,011 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: Zero new cases (615 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: One new case (680 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: Zero new cases (440 total cases)
  • Unknown: (3 cases total)

COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 15 cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health: 0 cases
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: Five cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: Three cases

COVID-19 TESTING

Ottawa’s COVID-19 Testing Taskforce reported 1,454 swabs were taken at assessment centres in Ottawa on Feb. 9.

A total of 7,452 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Feb. 9.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 26 hours.

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 26 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

There is a new COVID-19 outbreak at an Ottawa group home.  A COVID-19 outbreak has also been declared at Cityview – Home Child Care 32814.

The COVID-19 outbreaks at Richmond Care Home and Greely Elementary School are over.  

There are three active community outbreaks, linked to a health workplace, a distribution centre (NEW) and a warehouse.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Bishop Hamilton Montessori School
  2. Centre educatif La Clementine (École Marie-Curie)
  3. Charles H. Hulse Public School 
  4. CityView – Home Child Care – 32814 (NEW)
  5. Cornerstone Children's Centre
  6. Mothercraft Ottawa home child care - 32715 
  7. Playtime Daycare Centre – Licensed Childcare

The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Garden Terrace
  2. Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home
  3. Group Home – 32432
  4. Group Home – 32782 (NEW)
  5. Heritage Retirement
  6. Manoir Marochel
  7. Montfort Long-term Care Centre
  8. Oakpark Retirement Community
  9. Residence St. Louis
  10. Shelter - 28778
  11. Shelter - 29677
  12. Shelter - 29770
  13. Shelter - 29860
  14. Shelter - 32296
  15. Shelter - 32620
  16. St. Patrick's Home
  17. The Edinburgh Retirement Residence
  18. Valley Stream Retirement Residence
  19. Villa Marconi

A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, a single confirmed, symptomatic case in a staff member, home daycare provider, or child triggers an outbreak.

Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).