OTTAWA -- Sixty-two more Ottawa residents have tested positive for COVID-19, while Ottawa's key COVID-19 indicators remain in the "orange-protect" zone.

Ottawa Public Health reported 62 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, and no new deaths linked to the virus.

Thirty of the 62 new cases of COVID-19 involve residents under the age of 30.

Since the first case of COVID-19 on March 11, 2020, there have been 15,400 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 446 deaths.

Ottawa's COVID-19 incidence rate is at 36.7 cases per 100,000 people, while Ottawa's positivity rate increased to 2.2 per cent for March 5-11 from 2.1 per cent from March 3 to 9. Ottawa Public Health lists Ottawa in the "orange-restrict" zone of the COVID-19 framework.

The 62 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday follows 79 new cases on Thursday and 52 cases on Wednesday.

There are now 31 people in Ottawa-area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses, up from 28 people in hospital on Thursday.

Across Ontario, there are 1,371 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. Health officials reported 371 new cases in Toronto, 225 in Peel Region, 11 in York Region and 109 in Hamilton.

Public Health Ontario reported 83 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday. There is sometimes a discrepancy in COVID-19 reporting between Public Health Ontario and Ottawa Public Health based on when the data is collected from the system.

COVID-19 VARIANTS

Public Health Ontario reported four new cases of the COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom in Ottawa on Friday.

There are now 13 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom in Ottawa.

There are two cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa.

Public health says there are 121 variants of concern under investigation in Ottawa.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS

Ottawa is in "Orange-Restrict" status under Ontario's COVID-19 framework.

Ottawa Public Health data:

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 36.7 (Down from 36.8 cases on Thursday)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.2 per cent (March 5-11)
  • Reproduction number: 0.96 (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.

The Orange-Restrict category of Ontario's COVID-19 framework includes a weekly rate of cases per 100,000 between 25 to 39.9, a percent positivity of 1.3 to 2.4 per cent, and a reproduction number of approximately 1 to 1.1.  

VACCINES IN OTTAWA

As of March 12:

  • Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 73,009 (up from 3,822 since Wednesday)*
  • COVID-19 doses received (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna): 80,540

The city received a shipment of 9,360 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday, March 8. 

*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."

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health is reporting 31 people are currently in Ottawa area hospitals with COVID-19 complications, including three in the intensive care unit.

Ottawa Public Health is currently migrating its dashboard over to the provincial system, so data on the ages of the people currently in the hospital is unavailable.

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health is reporting 30 more active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday. There are 570 active cases of coronavirus in the capital, up from 540 on Thursday.

Thirty-two more people have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. Ottawa Public Health reports 14,384 resolved cases of COVID-19 in the capital.

The number of active cases is the number of total 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.

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: Two new cases (1,151 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: Eight new cases (1,908 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 20 new cases (3,355 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: Nine new cases (2,181 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: 11 new cases (1,978 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: Four new cases (1,857 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: Four new cases (1,117 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: Three new cases (678 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: Zero new cases (705 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: Zero new cases (466 total cases)
  • Unknown: One new case (4 cases total)

COVID-19 TESTING IN OTTAWA

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce reported 1,999 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on March 10.

A total of 6,183 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Wednesday.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 27 hours.

COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION

  •  Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 12 new cases
  •  Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health: 9 new cases
  •  Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Public Health: 10 new cases
  •  Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 9 new cases

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 29 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

There are new COVID-19 outbreaks at Lord Lansdowne retirement home and Peter D. Clark long-term care home. One staff member tested positive at each facility.

The COVID-19 outbreak at Manotick Place Retirement is over.

There are two active community outbreaks: one is linked to a construction workplace and one is at a multi-unit dwelling.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. École élémentaire catholique La Vérendrye
  2. École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean-Paul II
  3. École secondaire publique Gisele-Lalonde
  4. Gloucester High School
  5. Mothercraft Ottawa home childcare - 34081
  6. Ottawa Islamic School
  7. Ottawa Torah Institute 
  8. Rodnichok childcare - 34075

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

  1. Bearbrook Retirement Residence
  2. Chartwell Duke of Devonshire
  3. Extendicare Laurier Manor
  4. Etendicare Medex 
  5. Forest Hill
  6. Group Home
  7. Lord Lansdowne (NEW)
  8. Madonna Care Community
  9. Perley Rideau Veteran's Health Centre – Gatineau Building
  10. Peter D. Clark long-term care home (NEW)
  11. Riverpark Retirement Residence
  12. Rockcliffe Retirement Residence
  13. Sarsfield Colonial Home
  14. Shelter - Jan. 11
  15. Shelter - Jan. 26
  16. Shelter - Jan. 27
  17. Shelter - Feb. 22
  18. Shelter - Feb. 24
  19. St. Vincent Hospital
  20. The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A2
  21. The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A4 (Medicine)/A5/B5/Ama

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).

Two staff or patient cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a specified hospital unit within a 14-day period where both cases could have reasonably acquired their infection in hospital is considered an outbreak in a public hospital.