OTTAWA -- As students prepare to head back to school, new data shows Alta Vista, Beacon Hill-Cyrville and Gloucester-Southgate are the wards hardest hit by COVID-19 in Ottawa.

Ottawa Public Health says its "Snapshot of COVID-19 across Ottawa Wards Report" shows that "COVID-19 is present in every single community within Ottawa."

Alta Vista continues to have the highest rate of COVID-19 infections in Ottawa, with 403 cases per 100,000 people.  Beacon Hill-Cyrville in Ottawa's east-end has the second highest rate, at 360 cases per 100,000 people.

Gloucester-Southgate is third, at 333 cases per 100,000 people.

Statistics show West Carleton-March has the lowest rate of infection in Ottawa, at 63 cases per 100,000 people.

Ottawa Public Health says its map cannot be used to identify COVID-19 "hot spots" in Ottawa.

"Areas with lower or higher rates are not more or less safe from COVID-19."

Ottawa Public Health notes the data is based on where a case of COVID-19 lives, and does not necessarily reflect where the disease was contracted.

Ottawa wards rate of confirmed COVID-19 per 100,000 as of Aug. 31. (Data from Aug. 17 in parenthesis):

Alta Vista: 403 cases per 100,000 (363 cases per 100,000)

Beacon Hill-Cyrville 360 cases per 100,000 (314 cases per 100,000)

Gloucester-Southgate: 333 cases per 100,000 (327 per 100,000)

Bay: 289 cases per 100,000 (252 cases per 100,000)

Innes: 236 cases per 100,000 (176 cases per 100,000)

Rideau-Rockcliffe: 233 cases per 100,000 (219 cases per 100,000)

River: 232 cases per 100,000 (244 cases per 100,000)

Barrhaven: 229 cases per 100,000 (198 cases per 100,000)

Rideau-Vanier: 218 cases per 100,000 (179 cases per 100,000)

Cumberland: 193 cases per 100,000 (155 cases per 100,000)

Gloucester-South Nepean: 187 cases per 100,000 (166 cases per 100,000)

Rideau-Goulbourn: 182 cases per 100,000 (174 cases per 100,000)

College: 181 cases per 100,000 (166 cases per 100,000)

Knoxdale-Merivale: 176 cases per 100,000 (174 cases per 100,000)

Somerset: 159 cases per 100,000 (156 cases per 100,000)

Kichissippi: 145 cases per 100,000 (122 cases per 100,000)

Orleans: 134 cases per 100,000 (111 cases per 100,000)

Kanata North: 126 cases per 100,000 (113 cases per 100,000)

Capital: 126 cases per 100,000 (111 cases per 100,000)

Stittsville: 121 cases per 100,000 (121 cases per 100,000)

Kanata South: 116 cases per 100,000 (101 cases per 100,000)

Osgoode: 79 cases per 100,000 (75 cases per 100,000)

West Carleton-March: 63 cases per 100,000 (63 cases per 100,000)