OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is blaming a "large number of case reports" late Wednesday for a major discrepancy in reported new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa.

Meantime, Ontario set two new COVID-19 records on Thursday for total number of cases and deaths linked to the virus on a single day.

Health officials confirmed a one-day record 3,519 cases of COVID-19 across Ontario on Thursday, up from 3,266 infections reported on Wednesday. Eighty-nine more deaths related to COVID-19 were reported, a one-day high.

There are 891 new cases in Toronto, 569 in Peel Region, 457 in York Region and 174 in Durham Region. Windsor-Essex County reported 208 cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reported 68 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, and one new death linked to the virus. Public Health Ontario had announced 164 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.

It's the second time in a week there has been a major discrepancy in COVID-19 case numbers between OPH and Ontario.

In a statement on Twitter, Ottawa Public Health said "OPH received a large number of case reports late Wednesday, which is reflected in the provincial counts, and not in the COVID-19 Ottawa database counts."

"OPH anticipates the discrepancy between the provincial and OPH dashboard case counts on Jan. 7 to be adjusted in the days to come."

Ottawa Public Health says it uses a different database system than the Ontario provincial COVID-19 dashboards, which pull data at different times of day about Ottawa residents testing positive for COVID-19.

Last week, Ottawa Public Health said the discrepancy on New Year's Eve was due to a large set of reports that came in late on Dec. 30.

OTTAWA'S COVID-19 KEY STATISTICS

A province-wide lockdown went into effect on Dec. 26, 2020. Ottawa Public Health moved Ottawa into its red zone this week.  

Ottawa Public Health data:

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 73.5 cases
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 4.4 per cent (Dec. 30, 2020 - Jan. 5, 2021)
  • Reproduction number: 1.07 (seven day average)

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health says there are 860 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, down from 869 cases on Wednesday.

A total 9,496 people have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19.

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 21 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19. There are nine people currently in the intensive care unit.

Of the people in hospital, two are in their 20s, three are in their 50s (two in the ICU), four are in their 60s (two in the ICU), nine are in their 70s (five in the ICU),  two are in their 80s and one is in their 90s.

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: Eight new cases (733 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: Six new cases (1,305 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 12 new cases (2,250 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: Eight new cases (1,478 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: 12 new cases (1,398 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: 3 new cases (1,267 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: Five new cases (810 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: Two new cases (523 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: Seven new cases (586 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: Six new case (400 total cases)
 

COVID-19 TESTING

Public Health Ontario reports nearly 65,800 COVID-19 tests were completed.

Ottawa's COVID-19 Testing Taskforce reports 1,593 swabs were taken at assessment centres in Ottawa on Jan. 5.  A total 4,815 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Jan 5.

The average turnaround time from the time the swab is taken at the testing site to the result is 28 hours.

A total 2,829 tests were still in progress as of Wednesday afternoon.

COVID-19 ACROSS THE REGION 

Here is a look at the new cases of COVID-19 reported across the region:

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 36 cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington: 4 cases
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 10 cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: Public Health Ontario deducted one case from the Renfrew County total 
  • CISSS de l'Outaouais (which includes Gatineau): 41 cases

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 30 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared over at an Ottawa group home.

One outbreak involves a construction workplace, two outbreaks are linked to restaurants, two outbreaks are linked to retail workplaces, two involve 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:

  1. Centre de l'enfance aux 4 vents (Charlotte-Lemieux) 
  2. Guardian Angels School

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

  1. Alta Vista Manor
  2. Besserer Place
  3. Carlingview Manor
  4. Centre D'Accueil Champlain
  5. Edgewood Care Centre
  6. Extendicare Laurier Manor
  7. Extendicare Medex
  8. Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
  9. Extendicare Starwood
  10. Extendicare West End Villa
  11. Forest Hill
  12. Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home
  13. Granite Ridge long-term care home
  14. Group home – 27332
  15. Group Home 27915
  16. Madonna Care Community
  17. Manoir Marochel
  18. Maplewood Retirement Community
  19. Portobello Retirement Residence
  20. Riverpath Retirement Community
  21. Royal Ottawa Place
  22. Shelter – 27273
  23. Shelter – 27734
  24. Sisters of Charity Couvent Mont Saint-Joseph
  25. Sisters of Charity Maison Mère (NEW)
  26. St. Patrick's Home
  27. Valley Stream Retirement Residence
  28. 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).