OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting a decline in the number of COVID-19 deaths in the capital after an investigation showed a link to COVID-19 could not be proven in two cases.

In a statement on its COVID-19 dashboard, OPH said, "Following case investigation, two deaths could not be confirmed to be related to COVID-19. As such, these deaths were removed from the dashboard.

However, OPH notes that since Friday's update, an additional person has died.

"Since the previous refresh, however, one additional person with confirmed COVID-19 has passed away," OPH said. "Thus, the total change in deaths since the previous refresh is -1."

The city's death toll from COVID-19 now stands at 372 residents.

OPH reported 46 new people with COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, bringing the city's pandemic total to 8,379 cases. 

In the past seven days, Nov. 22 to 28 inclusive, OPH has reported an average of 34.3 new cases of COVID-19 per day. In the previous seven days, Nov. 15 to 21 inclusive, OPH reported an average of 42.1 new cases of COVID-19 per day.

Across Ontario, more than 1,800 new cases of COVID-19 were reported for a second straight day, Health Minister Christine Elliott said, with 1,822 new cases.

On Friday, a record-breaking 1,855 infections were logged across the province.

A majority of the new cases reported on Saturday were from the locked down regions of Toronto and Peel.

Twenty-nine new COVID-19 deaths have also been reported across Ontario.

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 complications fell slightly on Saturday to 20, from 21 on Friday.

There are three people in the intenstive care unit.

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

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of people with active cases of COVID-19 in the city climbed back above 300 on Saturday after three days below that figure.

OPH reports 309 active cases in Ottawa in its latest update, 16 more than what was reported on Friday.

Thirty-one additional recoveries have been added to the dashboard, bringing the city's number of resolved cases to 7,698. 

The number of active cases of COVID-19 is the number of total laboratory-confirmed cases minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.

 

CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA 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 (565 cases total)
  • 10-19 years-old: 11 new cases (967 cases total)
  • 20-29 years-old: Five new cases (1,711 cases total)
  • 30-39 years-old: Five new cases (1,120 cases total)
  • 40-49 years-old: Five new cases (1,060 cases total)
  • 50-59 years-old: Seven new cases (981 cases total)
  • 60-69-years-old: Three new cases (652 cases total)
  • 70-79 years-old: Two new cases (430 cases total)
  • 80-89 years-old: Two new cases (527 cases total)
  • 90+ years old: Zero new cases (365 cases total)

The age of one person who has tested positive for COVID-19 is presently unknown.

CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION

The number of new COVID-19 cases in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit's (EOHU) region climbed into the double digits on Saturday, according to provincial figures.

The province reports 13 more people in the EOHU have tested positive for COVID-19.

In the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health region, which is moving to the "Yellow-Protect" zone under the provincial framework, reported three new cases.

There are five new cases in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health's region.

The Renfrew County and District Health Unit has added one new case.

No new cases were reported in the Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit on Saturday.

The Quebec government reported 33 new cases of COVID-19 in the Outaouais region, which includes Gatineau. An 80th death from the virus was also reported in the region.

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 27 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

New outbreaks were declared at Gabrielle Roy French public school, an Association Intégration Sociale d'Ottawa (AISO) location, the Garden Terrace long-term care home and the Ravines retirement home.

Outbreaks have ended at the Esther By Child Care Centre, St. Bernard School, St. Stephen Elementary School, an unspecified residential program and the Montfort Long-term Care Centre.

There are two open community outbreaks involving unspecified social events.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Cedarview Middle School
  2. École élémentaire catholique Terre-Des-Jeunes
  3. École élémentaire publique Gabrielle Roy (NEW)
  4. Manordale Public School
  5. Ottawa Technical Secondary School

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

  1. Alta Vista Manor
  2. Amica Westboro Park
  3. Association Intégration Sociale d'Ottawa - 21034 (NEW)
  4. Beacon Heights retirement home
  5. Bearbrook Retirement Residence
  6. Bridlewood Trails Retirement Home
  7. Carlingview Manor
  8. Courtyards on Eagleson
  9. Extendicare Medex
  10. Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
  11. Extendicare Starwood
  12. Forest Hill long-term care home
  13. Garden Terrace long-term care home (NEW)
  14. Park Place
  15. Peter D. Clark long-term care home 
  16. Shelter – 20868
  17. St. Patrick's Home
  18. Stirling Park Retirement Home
  19. The Glebe Centre
  20. The Ravines retirement home (NEW)
  21. The Ottawa Hospital Rehab Centre - Special Rehab - Ward B
  22. Waterford Retirement

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).