OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health says 57 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person has died.

The figure comes as Public Health Ontario reports a spike in new cases provincewide. Ontario reported 1,631 new cases on Monday, along with 10 new deaths and 994 newly resolved cases. This is the highest number of new cases reported provincially since early February. However, the ministry of health noted that the spike in cases was due in part to a data catch-up process following a service degradation in the case and contact management system.

The province also reported 57 new cases in Ottawa. Figures from OPH and the province frequently differ due to different data collection times for the respective daily reports.

The daily figure for Ottawa is relatively stable compared to past reports.

No new variants of concern were officially confirmed in Ottawa on Monday. To date, Ottawa has seen eight confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant and two confirmed cases of the B.1.351 variant.

According to Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 15,167 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the first case was confirmed on March 11, 2020. The pandemic death toll now stands at 443 residents of Ottawa.

Ottawa remains in the "Orange-Restrict" level under Ontario's reopening framework and Monday's new data did little to move the needle toward either red or yellow, though the city remains closed to the "Red-Control" level than it does the "Yellow-Protect" level. The weekly incidence rate of new cases per capita increased slightly on Monday, as did the weekly testing positivty rate. There are slightly fewer people in hospitals with COVID-19. The number of active cases went up.

Vaccination efforts in the city are ramping up. Between 8 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Monday, OPH is reporting that the city administered nearly 7,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to residents. Popup clinics for residents in certain neighbourhoods opened this past weekend. 

OTTAWA'S COVID-19 KEY 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): 37.9 (up from 37.3 on Sunday, but  down from 38.9 on Saturday and 39.5 on Friday)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.2 per cent (March 1-7)
  • Reproduction number: 1.08 (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 8:

  • Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 63,576 (up from 56,670 as of March 5)*
  • COVID-19 doses received (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna): 71,180

*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."

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of people with known active cases remains above 500. There are 513 active cases of COVID-19, up from 502 cases on Sunday.

Forty-one more people have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. Ottawa Public Health reports 14,211 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.

 

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

There are currently 29 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 complications, including three in the intensive care unit.

Of the people in hospital, one is in their 20s, two are in their 50s (one in the ICU), eight are in their 60s (one is in the ICU), four are in their 70s, seven are in their 80s (one is in the ICU), and seven are 90 or older.

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: Seven new cases (1,135 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: Three new cases (1,879 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 15 new cases (3,307 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: 10 new cases (2,128 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: Four new cases (1,947 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: Nine new cases (1,831 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: Seven new cases (1,103 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: One new case (664 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: One new case (709 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: Zero new cases (461 total cases)
  • Unknown: Zero new cases (3 cases total)

COVID-19 TESTING

The Ontario government says 38,063 COVID-19 tests were performed provincewide on Sunday.

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce said Monday that 1,414 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on March 7 and 3,305 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on that date.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at an Ottawa testing site to the result is 37 hours.

COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 15 new cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health: 1 new case
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 1 case removed
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 6 new cases
  • CISSS de l'Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 7 new cases

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 28 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

New outbreaks were declared at a Mothercraft home daycare and the Riverpark Retirement Residence on Monday.

There are four active community outbreaks: one is linked to a construction workplace, one is linked to a restaurant, one is linked to a community organization 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 (NEW)
  6. Ottawa Islamic School 
  7. 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. Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
  5. Forest Hill
  6. Group Home – 32782
  7. Madonna Care Community
  8. Manotick Place Retirement
  9. Maycourt Hospice
  10. Perley Rideau Veteran's Health Centre – Gatineau Building
  11. Riverpark Retirement Residence (NEW)
  12. Rockcliffe Retirement Residence
  13. Sarsfield Colonial Home
  14. Shelter - 28778
  15. Shelter - 29677
  16. Shelter - 29770
  17. Shelter - 33435
  18. Shelter - 33687
  19. The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A2
  20. The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A4 (Medicine)/A5/B5/Ama
  21. The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus - Single Unit 7Ncc/Ccu

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.