OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health says 39 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19, continuing a trend of relatively stable daily case counts.
According to OPH's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 9,353 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city since the pandemic began. The weekly average of cases per 100,000 population—one of the metrics used to judge Ottawa's "colour" status under the province's framework—fell slightly from 30.9 to 28.8.
(Note: A previous version of this article said the per capita rate held steady at 30.9, however that particular figure on Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard had not updated at the time of writing, though others had.)
There are positive signs. Hospitalizations are down again and intensive care units remain free of COVID-19 patients for the time being. No new deaths have been reported in Ottawa for a second day in a row. The reproduction number (that is, the number of additional people each person with the virus infects) is below 1, suggesting viral spread has slowed down.
However, there does not appear to be any significant movement toward "Yellow-Protect" level figures, despite numbers also not trending upward toward the "Red-Control" level.
Health officials reported 2,316 new COVID-19 infections in the province on Sunday, along with 25 additional deaths. Public Health Ontario says another 1,931 cases of COVID-19 are now considered resolved.
A majority of the new cases reported in Ontario were from the GTA, with 486 in Toronto, 468 in Peel region, and 326 in York region. Public Health Ontario reported 38 new cases in Ottawa on Sunday.
OPH's figures have differed from Public Health Ontario data in the past several days.
OPH told CTV News by email earlier this month that a realignment of databases was underway, which was leading to data discrepancies between local and provincial health authorities.
"Given several factors, it is often the case that reported numbers from public health units do not match provincial data during a specific snapshot in time. This is mainly due to time lag."
The number of people in Ottawa who died of COVID-19 stands at 389.
OTTAWA COVID-19 STATUS: ORANGE-RESTRICT
Ottawa remains in the "Orange-Restrict" level under the provincial reopening framework. Ottawa moved into the restriction level on Nov. 7.
The "Orange-Restrict" level is for areas with a weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people of between 25 and 39.9, a positivity rate between 1.3 per cent and 2.4 per cent and a reproduction number of 1 to 1.1.
Here is where Ottawa stands on those metrics currently:
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 28.8
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.4 per cent (Dec. 11 to 17)
- Reproduction Number: 0.97 (seven day average)
The "Yellow-Protect" level requires a weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people of between 10 and 24.9, a positivity rate between 0.5 per cent and 1.2 per cent and a reproduction number of "approximately 1", according to the province.
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA
The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 complications fell below 20 to 18 on Sunday. The last time there were fewer than 20 people in the hospital with COVID-19 was Oct. 1.
There are also zero COVID-19 patients in the ICU for the second day in a row.
Of the people in hospital, one is in their 20s, one is in their 30s, one is in their 40s, one is in their 60s, six are in their 70s, seven are in their 80s, and one is 90 or older.
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
The number of people with active cases of COVID-19 has fallen slightly to 389 from 391 on Saturday.
OPH reported 41 additional recoveries, bringing the city's number of resolved cases to 8,575.
The number of active cases of COVID-19 is the number of total laboratory-confirmed cases minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.
CASES OF COVID-19 BY AGE CATEGORY
Here is a breakdown of all known COVID-19 cases in Ottawa by age category:
- 0-9 years old: One new case (651 cases total)
- 10-19 years-old: Nine new cases (1,111 cases total)
- 20-29 years-old: Six new cases (1,945 cases total)
- 30-39 years-old: Two new cases (1,279 cases total)
- 40-49 years-old: Seven new cases (1,176 cases total)
- 50-59 years-old: Eight new cases (1,092 cases total)
- 60-69-years-old: Zero new cases (717 cases total)
- 70-79 years-old: Two new cases (459 cases total)
- 80-89 years-old: Two new cases (545 cases total)
- 90+ years old: Two new cases (378 cases total)
TESTING
Ontario health officials say 69,412 COVID-19 tests were performed across the province on Saturday and 54,546 tests remain under investigation provincewide.
The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce does not provide local testing updates on weekends. In their most recent update on Friday, the taskforce said 1,753 swabs were taken on Dec. 17 and local labs performed 6,800 tests.
The next update from the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce will be on Monday, Dec. 21.
COVID-19 CASES AROUND THE REGION
Public Health Ontario is reporting the following for public health units in eastern Ontario:
- Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 22 new cases
- Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 7 new cases
- Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 13 new cases
- Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 3 new cases
- Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 5 new cases
The Quebec government is reporting 55 new cases of COVID-19 in the Outaouais region, which includes Gatineau. There were more than 2,100 new COVID-19 cases reported across Quebec on Sunday.
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 20 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
An outbreak at the Ottawa Hospital General Campus has ended. Seventeen patients and seven staff tested positive between Nov. 26 and Dec. 19 and six patients died.
New outbreaks were declared at Extendicare West End Villa and Madonna Care Community, as well as at École élémentaire catholique Terre-Des-Jeunes.
A school outbreak at Louis Riel High School, dated Dec. 17, lasted less than a day and is now over.
There are four active community outbreaks, all linked to unidentified workplaces. One new workplace outbreak was declared on Sunday. OPH does not name which workplaces have outbreaks or how many cases are linked to each workplace outbreak.
To date, there have been 42 workplace outbreaks in Ottawa (4 active, 38 closed) accounting for 228 cases of COVID-19 and one death.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
- École élémentaire catholique Terre-Des-Jeunes (NEW)
- Featherston Drive Public School
- Pleasant Park Public School
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
- Association Intégration Sociale d'Ottawa – 21034
- Bridlewood Trails Retirement Home
- Cité Parkway
- Courtyards on Eagleson
- Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
- Extendicare Medex
- Extendicare Starwood
- Extendicare West End Villa (NEW)
- Forest Hill long-term care home
- Glebe Centre long-term care home
- Madonna Care Community (NEW)
- Maison Accueil-Sagesse
- Manotick Place Retirement Home
- Maycourt Hospice
- Montfort Hospital - 3C
- Rudy Shenkman Hospice
- Village at the Glebe Retirement Residence
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).
