OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health says 61 more people in the city have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person has died.

It's a drop from the 107 new cases reported on Friday, the highest figure locally in nine days.

Ottawa's daily COVID-19 case counts have been trending lower in recent weeks, with fewer than 100 new cases reported in nine of the last ten days.

According to Ottawa Public Health, the city has seen 26,967 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March 11, 2020, and 567 residents of Ottawa have died because of the virus.

Across the province, health officials reported 1,057 new cases of COVID-19 and 2,057 newly resolved infections. Public Health Ontario says 15 more Ontarians have died due to COVID-19. Public Health Ontario reported 64 new cases in Ottawa on Saturday. Figures from OPH often differ from those provided by Public Health Ontario because the health agencies pull data for their respective daily reports at different times of the day.

The number of active cases in Ottawa continues to trend downward and is below 800. The hospitalization rate fell in Saturday's update, though ICU numbers increased slightly, and the weekly per capita incidence rate continued to decline.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS

Ottawa entered Ontario's COVID-19 stay-at-home order at 12:01 a.m. April 8.

Ottawa Public Health data:

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (May 21 to 27): 43.9 (down from 45.1)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa (May 21 to 27): 5.0 (Down from 5.1 per cent May 19-25)
  • Reproduction number (seven day average): 0.94

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.

COVID-19 VACCINES IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health updates vaccine numbers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

As of May 28:

  • Ottawa residents with 1 dose (12+): 520,734 
  • Ottawa residents with 2 doses (12+): 46,089 
  • Total doses received in Ottawa: 527,650  

As of Friday, 60 per cent Ottawa residents 18 and older had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

*Total doses received does not include AstraZeneca doses shipped to pharmacies and primary care clinics.

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health reported 38 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses on Saturday, down from 45.

There are 11 people in intensive care units, up from 10.

Hospitalizations (and ICU admissions) by age category:

  • 0-9: 0
  • 10-19: 1 
  • 20-29: 2 (1 in ICU)
  • 30-39: 2 (1 in ICU)
  • 40-49: 6 (1 in ICU)
  • 50-59: 6 (1 in ICU) 
  • 60-69: 10 (5 in ICU)
  • 70-79: 4 (1 in ICU)
  • 80-89: 6 (1 in ICU)
  • 90+: 1

These data are based on figures from Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, which refer to residents of Ottawa and do not include patient transfers from other regions.

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of people with known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa is now below 800.

There are 731 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, down from 752 active on Friday.

OPH reported that 81 more people recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. The total number of resolved cases of coronavirus in Ottawa is now 25,669.

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.

 

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

Ottawa Public Health data*:

  • Total B.1.1.7 (UK variant) cases: 5,352 (+17) 
  • Total B.1.351 (South Africa variant) cases: 282 (+14)
  • Total P.1 (Brazil variant) cases: 26 (+2)
  • Total B.1.617 (India variant): 3
  • Total B.1.617.2: 1
  • Other variant: 1
  • Total variants of concern/mutation cases: 6,285 (+17)
  • Deaths linked to variants/mutations: 61 (+2)

*OPH notes that that VOC and mutation trends must be treated with caution due to the varying time required to complete VOC testing and/or genomic analysis following the initial positive test for SARS-CoV-2. Test results may be completed in batches and data corrections or updates can result in changes to case counts that may differ from past reports.

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: 8 new cases (2,193 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: 10 new cases (3,433 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 15 new cases (6,076 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: 7 new cases (4,094 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: 9 new cases (3,549 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: 3 new cases (3,253 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: 4 new cases (1,923 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: 2 new case (1,076 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: 1 new case (850 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: 2 new cases (517 total cases)
  • Unknown: 0 new cases (3 cases total)  

COVID-19 TESTING IN OTTAWA

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce reports 836 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on May 27.

A total of 2,631 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Wednesday.

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

The next update from the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce is due Monday.

Public Health Ontario says 33,559 COVID-19 tests were performed across Ontario on Friday.

CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 11 new cases
  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 0 new cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 3 new cases
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 2 new cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 3 new cases
  • Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 34 new cases

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

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

The active community outbreaks are: 

  • Workplace – Construction: One outbreak 
  • Workplace – Health: One outbreak
  • Workplace – Restaurant: One outbreak
  • Workplace – Retail: One outbreak
  • Workplace – Services: One outbreak

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Service A L'Enfrance Aladin St-Anne (May 13)
  2. Grandir Ensemble – Licensed Home Daycare (May 14)
  3. La Coccinelle Des Sentiers child care (May 19) NEW

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

  1. Shelter A-14541 (April 25) 
  2. Montfort Hospital - 3C - (April 27)
  3. Montfort Hospital - 5C (May 3)
  4. Group Home A-15690 (May 4)  
  5. Queensway Carleton Hospital – C3 (May 5) 
  6. Extendicare Starwood - 2 South (May 7) 
  7. Villa Marconi - 3rd Floor (May 10)
  8. The Ottawa Hospital General Campus - Single Unit 5E (May 15) 
  9. Elmsmere Villa Retirement Home (May 17)
  10. Supported Independent Living A-16852) May 17
  11. Group Home A-16961 (May 18) 
  12. Centre D'Accueil Champlain - 2nd floor unit and 5th floor unit (May 19) 
  13. Valley Stream Retirement Residence - Facility-wide (May 21) 
  14. Group Home A-17246 (May 22) 
  15. Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (May 22) NEW
  16. The Ottawa Hospital Rehab Centre - Ward A (May 25)
  17. Maison Accueil Sagesse (May 25)

 As of April 7, two cases of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home with an with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the facility is considered an outbreak in a long-term care home or retirement home. One laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a staff member or resident of other institutions such as shelters, group homes, is considered an outbreak. In childcare settings, two children or staff or household member cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a 14-day period where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the childcare establishment is considered an outbreak in a childcare establishment.

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 or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in patients and/or staff in a hospital setting with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the hospital is considered an outbreak in a public hospital.

Correction:

A previous version of this article mistakenly said there had been 246 confirmed cases of the P.1 COVID-19 variant. That was a typo. There have been 26 cases. 

We regret the error.