OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting another drop in active cases of COVID-19 and the testing positivity rate in Ottawa.

OPH added 22 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Monday. On Sunday, Ottawa Public Health reported 46 new cases.

According to OPH's COVID-19 dashboard, the city has seen 13,358 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began. 

No new deaths were reported in Ottawa on Monday. The pandemic death toll from COVID-19 is 422 residents.

On Sunday, Ottawa's key COVID-19 indicators fell out of the "Red" zone in Ontario's COVID-19 restriction system. The COVID-19 rate per 100,000 dropped to 38.9 cases, down from 42.5 cases per 100,000 on Saturday. Under Ontario's COVID-19 response framework, the guidelines for the "red-control" zone is more than 40 cases per 100,000 and a positivity rate of 2.5 per cent.

On Monday, OPH announced a further decrease in these stats, including the testing positivity rate falling below 2 per cent.

Provincewide, health officials reported 1,969 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario and 36 new deaths. The province also reported 2,132 new resolved cases.

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.

Ottawa Public Health data:

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 36.8 cases (Down from 38.9 cases on Sunday, 42.5 cases on Saturday, and 44.0 cases on Friday)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.8 per cent (Jan. 25 - Jan. 31)
  • Reproduction number: 0.87 (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. 

VACCINES

As of Feb. 1.

  • Doses administered in Ottawa: 26,337*
  • Doses received in Ottawa: 25,350

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 people with known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa has fallen below 600 for the first time since Jan. 1.

OPH reported 599 active cases on Monday, down from 648 on Sunday.

Seventy-one new resolved cases were reported on Monday, bringing Ottawa's total number of resolved cases to 12,337.

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 complications rose to 32 on Monday from 31 on Sunday.

There are six people in intensive care, up from five on Sunday.

Of the people in hospital, two are in their 40s, four are in their 50s, six are in their 60s (three are in the ICU), three are in their 70s (one is in the ICU), 10 are in their 80s (two are in the ICU), and seven are 90 or older.

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: Zero new cases (973 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: Four new cases (1,664 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: Six new cases (2,853 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: Two new cases (1,855 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: Five new cases (1,732 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: Five new cases (1,598 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: Zero new cases (973 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: One new case (599 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: Zero new cases (670 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: Zero new cases (438 total cases)

The ages of three people with COVID-19 are unknown. One person's age has assigned to an age category above.

COVID-19 TESTING

Ontario health officials reported 30,359 COVID-19 tests were performed across Ontario on Sunday and 11,651 tests remain under investigation.

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce says 657 swabs were taken at local assessment centres on Sunday and local labs performed 1,700 COVID-19 tests. 182 tests are in progress as of Feb. 1.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 20 hours.

The positivity rate for the week of Jan. 25 to 31 was 1.8 per cent. This is the first time the weekly testing positivity rate has been below 2 per cent since the week of Dec. 14 to 20, 2020. 

COVID-19 CASES AROUND THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 14 new cases
  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: Zero new cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: One new case
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: Zero new cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: One new case
  • Outaouais Region: Nine new cases

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 35 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

A new COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at the West Carleton Kids Korner daycare.

COVID-19 outbreaks are over at a Wee Watch daycare in Nepean and at the Ruddy Family Y Child Care centre.

There are two active community outbreaks, linked to a health workplace and a restaurant. 

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Andrew Fleck Children's Services Home Child Care - 29580
  2. Cornerstone Children's Centre 
  3. Global Child Care Services - Gloucester home daycare
  4. Greely Elementary School
  5. Little Acorn Early Learning Centre
  6. Playtime Daycare Centre – Licensed Childcare
  7. West Carleton Kids Korner (NEW)

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

  1. Besserer Place
  2. Centre D'Accueil Champlain
  3. Elisabeth Bruyere Residence
  4. Extendicare Laurier Manor
  5. Extendicare Medex
  6. Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
  7. Extendicare West End Villa
  8. Forest Hill
  9. Garden Terrace
  10. Group Home - 28608
  11. Group Home - 29049
  12. Group Home – 29052
  13. Heritage Retirement
  14. Oakpark Retirement Community
  15. Park Place
  16. Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre
  17. Richmond Care Home
  18. Shelter - 28778
  19. Shelter – 29413
  20. Shelter – 28677
  21. Shelter- 29770
  22. Shelter – 29860
  23. Sisters of Charity - Couvent Mont St. Joseph
  24. St. Patrick's Home
  25. Stirling Park Retirement Community
  26. Valley Stream Retirement Residence
  27. Villa Marconi
  28. Villagia in the Glebe

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).