More than 250 new COVID-19 cases reported in Ottawa on Saturday

Ottawa Public Health says another 251 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Ottawa. Hospitalizations remain stable.

To date, OPH has recorded 33,963 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began. No new deaths were reported on Saturday, leaving the pandemic death toll at 620 residents.

Hospitalizations remain stable, with three people in hospital and zero in the ICU. Experts consider hospitalizations a lagging indicator, meaning they typically rise several days or weeks after cases begin going up.

Active cases are now at their highest level since mid-May. 

Ottawa's seven-day average of new cases is up to 170.7. This time last week, it was 74.6. Four weeks ago it was 39.6.

Across the province, health officials reported another 3,301 cases of COVID-19. Four more Ontarians have died due to the virus and 1,207 previously reported cases are now considered resolved. Another 28 cases in Ontario have been confirmed as the Omicron variant of concern.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS

• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (Dec 10 to Dec. 16): 112.0 (up from 98.5)                
• Positivity rate in Ottawa (Dec. 10 to Dec. 16): 6.3 per cent 
• Reproduction number (Seven day average): 1.67

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.

UNVACCINATED CASES

Of the 3,301 cases of COVID-19 reported in Ontario on Saturday, 718 are in unvaccinated individuals, for a rate of 24.82 cases per 100,000 population, 2,338 are in fully vaccinated individuals, for a rate of 20.69 cases per 100,000 and 104 are in partially vaccinated people for a rate of 19.2 cases per 100,000 population. The vaccination status of the remaining 141 cases is unknown.

More than 11.3 million Ontarians are fully vaccinated. Health experts have noted the number of COVID-19 infections identified in fully vaccinated individuals will naturally increase as more people get both of their shots. Vaccination helps reduce the risk of severe symptoms related to COVID-19 as well as hospitalization.

The province stated at least 382 people are in hospital due to COVID-19. Of those hospitalized, 189 were reported to have been admitted in the last 24 hours — 121 of which were unvaccinated, nine were partially vaccinated and 88 were fully vaccinated.

The province says 154 patients are in intensive care due to COVID-19, 33 of whom are fully vaccinated.

(n.b. The rate per 100,000 population is used to compare the total populations of unvaccinated individuals, partially vaccinated, and fully vaccinated individuals against each other, as their respective populations are different. There are more fully vaccinated people in Ontario than there are unvaccinated people in Ontario, so a calculation dividing new cases by the respective populations and then multiplying that figure by 100,000 is used as a comparative measure. Rates per 100,000 are published daily by the Ontario government.)

COVID-19 VACCINES IN OTTAWA

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

As of Friday:

• Ottawa residents with 1 dose (5+): 884,898 
• Ottawa residents with 2 doses (5+): 818,722 
• Share or population five and older with at least one dose: 89 per cent
• Share of population five and older fully vaccinated: 82 per cent

*Statistics on Ottawa residents with one or two doses include anyone with an Ottawa postal code who was vaccinated anywhere in Ontario.

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

There are 1,409 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, up from 1,223 on Friday.

It's the highest number of active cases in Ottawa since May 14.

Ottawa Public Health reported 65 newly resolved cases of COVID-19. The total number of resolved cases of coronavirus in Ottawa is 31,934.

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.

 

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

There are three people in Ottawa area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses on Saturday, unchanged from Friday.

There are no patients in Ottawa's ICUs.

Age categories of people in hospital:

• 0-9: 0
• 10-19: 0
• 20-29: 0
• 30-39: 0
• 40-49: 0
• 50-59: 0
• 60-69: 0
• 70-79: 1
• 80-89: 1
• 90+: 1

(Ottawa Public Health is now reporting people in hospital with an "active" infection)

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

• 0-9 years old: 19 new cases (3,431 total cases)
• 10-19 years-old: 38 new cases (4,584 total cases)
• 20-29 years-old: 52 new cases (7,404 total cases)
• 30-39 years-old: 62 new cases (5,228 total cases)
• 40-49 years-old: 34 new cases (4,489 total cases)
• 50-59 years-old: 25 new cases (3,853 total cases)
• 60-69-years-old: 14 new cases (2,255 total cases)
• 70-79 years-old: Five new cases (1,241 total cases)
• 80-89 years-old: One new case (920 total cases)
• 90+ years old: Zero new cases (554 total cases)
• Unknown: One new case (4 cases total)

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

• Total Alpha (B.1.1.7) cases: 6,850
• Total Beta (B.1.351) cases: 513
• Total Gamma (P.1) cases: 55
• Total Delta (B.1.617.2) cases: 1,561
• Total Omicron (B.1.1.529) cases: 18
• Total variants of concern/mutation cases: 13,383
• Deaths linked to variants/mutations: 124

*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 TESTING IN OTTAWA

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Task Force says 3,415 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on Thursday. A total of 5,011 lab tests were performed.

The average turnaround from the time a swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 34 hours.

CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION

• Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 37 new cases
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 28 new cases
• Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 144 new cases
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 44 new cases
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 10 new cases

COVID-19 OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health reports COVID-19 outbreaks at institutions and community outbreaks in Ottawa.

Community outbreaks:

• Multi-unit dwelling: One outbreak
• Sports & Recreation– Recreation: One outbreak
• Workplace – Construction: Two outbreaks
• Workplace – Corporate/Office: One outbreak
• Workplace – Health: One outbreak
• Workplace – Recreation: One outbreak
• Workplace – Restaurant: One outbreak
• Workplace – Retail: Three outbreaks

Schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks: 

1. Assumption Catholic elementary school (Nov. 8)
2. Carson Grove Elementary School (Nov. 22)
3. École élémentaire catholique St. François d'Assise (Nov. 24)
4. École élémentaire catholique Elisabeth-Bruyère (Dec. 1) 
5. Half Moon Bay Public School (Dec. 1) 
6. Mary Honeywell Elementary School (Dec. 2)
7. Mifo Notre-Dame-Des-Champs – Service Garde Agrees Centre ( Dec. 2)
8. St. Thomas More Elementary School (Dec. 2) 
9. Berrigan Elementary School (Dec. 3) 
10. St. Benedict Elementary School (Dec. 4) 
11. St. Emily elementary school (Dec. 5) 
12. Featherston Drive Public School (Dec. 6) 
13. École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean-Paul II (Dec. 7) 
14. Osgoode Township High School (Dec. 7) 
15. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton elementary school (Dec. 7) 
16. Vimy Ridge Public School (Dec. 7) 
17. Carleton Heights Public School (Dec. 9) 
18. Imagination Station Licenced Child Care (Dec. 10)
19. Jockvale Elementary School (Dec. 10) 
20. École secondaire publique Pierre-de-Blois (Dec. 11) 
21. Holy Spirit Elementary School (Dec. 11) 
22. Katimavik Elementary School (Dec. 11)
23. Pleasant Park Public School (Dec. 12) 
24. St. Gabriel Elementary School (Dec. 12) 
25. Chapman Mills Elementary School (Dec. 13)
26. École élémentaire catholique d'enseignment personnalisé La Source (Dec. 13) 
27. Glebe Collegiate Institute (Dec. 13) 
28. École élémentaire catholique Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Dec. 14)
29. Georges Vanier Catholic Elementary School (Dec. 14)
30. Knoxdale Public School (Dec. 14) 
31. Sacred Heart High School (Dec. 14) 
32. École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité (Dec. 15) 
33. St. Peter High School (Dec. 15) 
34. St. John XXIII Elementary School (Dec. 15) 
35. Torah Academy of Ottawa Elementary School (Dec. 16) 
36. Merivale High School (Dec. 16) 
37. Sir Wilfrid Laurier Seconday School (Dec. 16) 

Healthcare and congregate settings experiencing outbreaks:

• St. Patrick's Home - Floors 3, 4, 5 (Nov. 17)
• Group Home (Dec. 6)
• Group Home (Dec. 7)
• Granite Ridge Long-term Care Home - Memory Care Unit (Dec. 14)