OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting 62 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, as a key COVID-19 indicator continued to rise towards the "red-control" threshold.

It's the 35th consecutive day with fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa.

There are two new deaths linked to novel coronavirus in Ottawa.

Forty of the 62 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday involved residents under the age of 30.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, there have been 14,532 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 439 deaths.

Ottawa's COVID-19 rate increased to 35.6 cases per 100,000, up from 34.5 cases on Wednesday. The threshold to move into the red zone with new restrictions in Ontario is 40 cases per 100,000.

Ottawa's positivity rate is 2.1 per cent.

The 62 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday follows 41 new cases on Wednesday and 25 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday.

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

Across Ontario, there are 1,138 new cases of novel coronavirus on Thursday. Health officials reported 339 new cases in Toronto, 204 in Peel Region and 106 in York Region.

OTTAWA'S COVID-19 KEY STATISTICS

Ottawa is in "Orange-Restrict" status under Ontario's COVID-19 framework.

Ottawa Public Health data:

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 35.6 (Up from 34.5 on Wednesday)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.1 per cent (Feb. 18-23)
  • Reproduction number: 1.02 (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 IN OTTAWA

As of Feb. 24

  • Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 48,278*
  • COVID-19 doses received (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna): 57,820

A new shipment of 9,360 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Ottawa on Feb. 22.

*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

Ottawa Public Health reported an increase in the number of active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa. There are 457 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, up from 446 active cases on Wednesday.

Forty-nine more people have recovered from COVID-19 in Ottawa. There are 13,636 resolved cases of COVID-19.

The number of active cases is the number of total 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

There are currently 21 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 complications, with eight people in intensive care.

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

 

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: Six new cases (1,078 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: Six new cases (1,800 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 18 new cases (3,118 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: Ten new cases (2,034 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: Six new cases (1,877 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: Seven new cases (1,758 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: Four new case (1,054 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: Two new cases (638 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: Three new cases (700 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: Zero new case (454 total cases)
  • Unknown: Zero new cases (3 cases total)

COVID-19 TESTING IN OTTAWA

Ottawa's COVID-19 Testing Taskforce reports 2,417 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on Feb. 23.

A total of 5,988 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Tuesday.

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

COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 20 cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health: Four cases
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit:  Zero cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: Four cases 

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 30 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

There is a new COVID-19 outbreak at Manotick Place Retirement. A staff member tested positive for the virus.

The COVID-19 outbreak at Cityview Home Child Care – 23912 is over.

There are four active community outbreaks: one is linked to a health workplace, one is linked to a corporate/office setting, one is linked to a construction workplace, and one is linked to a community organization.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Centrepointe Home Daycare
  2. CityView – Home Child Care – 32814
  3. École élémentaire publique Des Sentiers 
  4. École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité
  5. Mothercraft Ottawa – Home Child Care – 33056
  6. Osgoode Township High School 
  7. St. Patrick's High School

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

  1. Carlingwood Retirement
  2. Centre D'Acceuil Champlain
  3. Extendicare Starwood
  4. Extendicare West End Villa
  5. Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home
  6. Governor's Walk Retirement
  7. Group Home – 32432
  8. Group Home – 32782
  9. Maison Acceuil Sagesse
  10. Manoir Marochel
  11. Manotick Place Retirement (NEW)
  12. Montfort Long-term Care Centre
  13. Peter D. Clark
  14. Rockcliffe Retirement Residence
  15. Shelter - 28778
  16. Shelter - 29677
  17. Shelter - 29770
  18. Shelter - 29860
  19. Shelter - 33435 
  20. Supported Independent Living – 32891
  21. The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A4 (Medicine)/A5/B5/Ama
  22. The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus - Single Unit 7Ncc/Ccu
  23. 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).

Two staff or patient cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a specified hospital unit within a 14-day period where both cases could have reasonably acquired their infection in hospital is considered an outbreak in a public hospital.