Ottawa Public Health reports highest COVID-19 case count in eight months

Local health officials are reporting 199 new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa on Thursday, the most in nearly eight months.

The last time was near the height of the fourth wave of COVID-19, when Ottawa Public Health reported 208 new cases on April 23.

The health unit is also reporting one new death from the virus, bringing the COVID-19 death toll in Ottawa to 619.

The number of active cases in Ottawa is up to 973, the most since late May. Hospitalizations, however, remain low. There are five people in hospital with COVID-19 in Ottawa, and none in the ICU.

Ontario-wide, officials are reporting more than 2,400 new cases for the first time in seven months as the positivity rate soars to seven per cent.

The rising cases come as officials warn the Omicron variant will imminently take over as the dominant strain in Ontario.

One more case of the Omicron variant has been confirmed in Ottawa, bringing the total to 13.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS

• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (Dec 7 to Dec. 13): 78.1 (up from 66.4)               
• Positivity rate in Ottawa (Dec. 8 to Dec. 14): 4.5 per cent
• Reproduction number (Seven day average): 1.35

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

There are 328 people in hospital with COVID-19 across Ontario. Of those, 256 are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status. Seventy-two are fully vaccinated.

There are 165 people in ICUs, 141 of whom are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

COVID-19 VACCINES IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health has updated its vaccination numbers to include children between ages five and 11, who are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.

The health unit releases vaccine numbers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

As of Wednesday:

• Ottawa residents with 1 dose (5+): 882,376 (+2,541)
• Ottawa residents with 2 doses (5+): 818,167 (+524)
• Share or population five and older with at least one dose: 88 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 973 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday, up from 845 on Wednesday.

It's the highest number of active cases in Ottawa since May 26, when there were 991.

Ottawa Public Health reported 70 newly resolved cases of COVID-19. The total number of resolved cases of coronavirus in Ottawa is 31,811.

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 five people in Ottawa area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses on Thursday, down from seven on Wednesday.

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: 1
• 70-79: 2
• 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 (3,382 total cases)
• 10-19 years-old: 27 new cases (4,504 total cases)
• 20-29 years-old: 48 new cases (7,275 total cases)
• 30-39 years-old: 38 new cases (5,107 total cases)
• 40-49 years-old: 39 new cases (4,405 total cases)
• 50-59 years-old: 17 new cases (3,794 total cases)
• 60-69-years-old: Six new cases (2,229 total cases)
• 70-79 years-old: Two new cases (1,231 total cases)
• 80-89 years-old: Two new cases (919 total cases)
• 90+ years old: One new case (554 total cases)
• Unknown: Zero new cases (3 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: 1,509
• Total Omicron (B.1.1.529) cases: 12
• Total variants of concern/mutation cases: 12,858
• Deaths linked to variants/mutations: 123

*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 3,364 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on Tuesday. A total of 4,161 tests were performed.

The average turnaround from the time a swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 26 hours.

CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION

• Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 23 new cases
• Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 30 new cases
• Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 190 new cases
• Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 34 new cases
• Renfrew County and District Health Unit: Three new cases

COVID-19 OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health reports COVID-19 outbreaks at institutions and community outbreaks in Ottawa. There are two ongoing outbreaks in health care institutions and 35 in child care and school settings.

Community outbreaks:

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

Schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks: 

1. Assumption Catholic elementary school (Nov. 8)
2. Académie Providence Soeurs Antonines (Nov. 16)
3. Carlington Recreation Centre - Licenced Child Care (Nov. 17)
4. Le Carrefour - Services de garde agréés en Centre (Nov. 18)
5. Carson Grove Elementary School (Nov. 22)
6. Holy Redeemer Elementary School (Nov. 22)
7. École élémentaire catholique St. François d'Assise (Nov. 24)
8. École élémentaire catholique Elisabeth-Bruyère (Dec. 1) 
9. Half Moon Bay Public School (Dec. 1) 
10. Mary Honeywell Elementary School (Dec. 2)
11. St. Marguerite d'Youville Elementary School (Dec. 2) 
12. St. Thomas More Elementary School (Dec. 2) 
13. Mifo Notre-Dame-Des-Champs – Service Garde Agrees Centre ( Dec. 2)
14. École élémentaire catholique Jonathan-Pitre (Dec. 3) 
15. École élémentaire publique Jeanne-Sauvé (Dec. 3) 
16. Berrigan Elementary School (Dec. 3) 
17. St. Benedict Elementary School (Dec. 4) 
18. École élémentaire publique Michaëlle-Jean (Dec. 4) 
19. St. Emily elementary school (Dec. 5) 
20. Featherston Drive Public School (Dec. 6) 
21. Vimy Ridge Public School (Dec. 7) 
22. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton elementary school (Dec. 7) 
23. Osgoode Township High School (Dec. 7) 
24. École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean-Paul II (Dec. 7) 
25. École élémentaire catholique Notre-Dame-des-Champs (Dec. 7)
26. Carleton Heights Public School (Dec. 9) 
27. Jockvale Elementary School (Dec. 10) 
28. Imagination Station Licenced Child Care (Dec. 10)
29. Katimavik Elementary School (Dec. 11)
30. Holy Spirit Elementary School (Dec. 11) 
31. St. Gabriel Elementary School (Dec. 12) 
32. Pleasant Park Public School (Dec. 12) 
33. Chapman Mills Elementary School (Dec. 13)
34. Georges Vanier Catholic Elementary School (Dec. 14) NEW
35. École élémentaire catholique Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Dec. 14) NEW

Healthcare and congregate settings experiencing outbreaks:

• St. Patrick's Home - Floors 3, 4, 5 (Nov. 17)
• Group Home (Dec. 7)