OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting 87 more people in the city have tested positive for COVID-19, the first time the daily case count has dropped below 100 since the start of the year.
The update comes as the province reports 3,266 new cases across Ontario and 37 new deaths linked to COVID-19. Public Health Ontario reported 94 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Figures between local and provincial authorities have differed recently. Ottawa Public Health says the discrepancies are related to different databases and different data collection times. Ottawa Public Health's total number of COVID-19 cases is 10 behind the total given by the province.
"The OPH dashboard reflects data that has been verified by case management and contact tracing work," Ottawa Public Health says.
According to Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 10,682 total lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa.
No new deaths were reported on Wednesday. OPH says 393 residents have died throughout the pandemic.
OTTAWA'S COVID-19 KEY STATISTICS
A province-wide lockdown went into effect on Dec. 26, 2020.
Ottawa Public Health data:
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 74.9 cases
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 4.4 per cent (Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021)
- Reproduction number: 1.15 (seven day average)
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
The number of people in Ottawa with active COVID-19 cases continues to rise and is now at 869, up from 843 on Tuesday.
OPH said 61 more people have seen their cases resolve, bringing the number of resolved cases in Ottawa to 9,420.
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
Ottawa Public Health says there are now 19 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19, up from 18 on Tuesday, and nine people are intensive care, up from seven.
Of the people in hospital, three are in their 20s, three are in their 50s (two in the ICU), three are in their 60s (two in the ICU), seven are in their 70s (five in the ICU), and three are in their 80s.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said the people who are in hospital now are all from the broader community and are not residents of long-term care homes. She also cautioned that the number of hospitalizations has nearly doubled in the past week, and said that if the trend continues, it could put other care, such as surgeries, at risk.
TESTING
Ontario health officials reported that 51,045 COVID-19 tests were completed across the province on Jan. 5 and 55,484 tests remain under investigation.
Updated local testing figures from the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce are due this afternoon.
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: Five new cases (725 total cases)
- 10-19 years-old: Eight new cases (1,299 total cases)
- 20-29 years-old: 18 new cases (2,238 total cases)
- 30-39 years-old: Nine new cases (1,470 total cases)
- 40-49 years-old: 22 new cases (1,386 total cases)
- 50-59 years-old: 15 new cases (1,264 total cases)
- 60-69-years-old: Four new cases (805 total cases)
- 70-79 years-old: Three new cases (521 total cases)
- 80-89 years-old: Two new cases (579 total cases)
- 90+ years old: One new case (394 total cases)
The age of one person with COVID-19 is currently unknown.
CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION
Public Health Ontario is reporting the following for public health units around eastern Ontario:
- Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 47 new cases.
- Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 7 new cases.
- Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 14 new cases.
- Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 7 new cases.
- Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 3 new cases.
The Quebec government reported 45 new cases in the Outaouais region, which includes Gatineau.
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 31 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
One new outbreak was declared at the Charlotte Lemieux childcare centre and one new outbreak was declared at the Maison Mère Sisters of Charity retirement home.
There are 10 open community outbreaks. A previous construction workplace outbreak has ended.
Two outbreaks involve construction workplaces, two outbreaks are linked to restaurants, two outbreaks are linked to retail workplaces, one involves a social event at a private setting, one is linked to sports and recreation, one is linked to an office setting, and one is linked to a personal services workplace.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
- Centre de l'enfance aux 4 vents (Charlotte-Lemieux) (NEW)
- Guardian Angels School
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
- Alta Vista Manor
- Besserer Place
- Carlingview Manor
- Centre D'Accueil Champlain
- Edgewood Care Centre
- Extendicare Laurier Manor
- Extendicare Medex
- Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
- Extendicare Starwood
- Extendicare West End Villa
- Forest Hill
- Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home
- Granite Ridge long-term care home
- Group home – 27332
- Group Home – 27498
- Group Home 27915
- Madonna Care Community
- Manoir Marochel
- Maplewood Retirement Community
- Portobello Retirement Residence
- Riverpath Retirement Community
- Royal Ottawa Place
- Shelter – 27273
- Shelter – 27734
- Sisters of Charity Couvent Mont Saint-Joseph
- Sisters of Charity Maison Mère (NEW)
- St. Patrick's Home
- Valley Stream Retirement Residence
- Villagia in 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).
