OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting 78 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, as case numbers surge across the province to yet another high point.

Health Minister Christine Elliott announced 1,581 new infections on Saturday, surpassing Thursday's high point of 1,575 new cases.

Nearly 70 per cent of the new cases reported in Ontario are in the Peel, Toronto and York regions.

Ontario health officials reported 77 cases in Ottawa on Saturday. Provincial figures sometimes differ from local figures from OPH because of how cases are recorded at the ministerial level, OPH has said.

According to Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 7,844 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began.

No new deaths were reported on Saturday. This is the first time in 10 days that zero new COVID-19 deaths were reported by Ottawa Public Health. The city's death toll from the disease stands at 356 residents.

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 dropped on Saturday to 56 from 60 in Friday's report. There are six people in intensive care, down from eight on Friday.

Of the people in hospital, one is between the ages of 10 and 19, three are in their 30s (two in the ICU), two are in their 40s, five are in their 50s, seven are in their 60s, 13 are in their 70s (two in the ICU), 14 are in their 80s, (two in the ICU), and 11 are 90 or older.

TESTING

44,837 COVID-19 tests were performed across Ontario on Friday. There are 39,767 people in Ontario waiting for COVID-19 test results.

The Ottawa COVID-19 testing task force does not provide updates on testing figures on weekends. In its most recent update, the taskforce said 1,412 swabs were taken on Thursday and labs performed 4,438 tests.

The positivity rate for the week of Nov. 2-8 was 2.4 per cent.

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: Nine new cases (511 cases total)
  • 10-19 years-old: 15 new cases (902 cases total)
  • 20-29 years-old: 16 new cases (1,612 cases total)
  • 30-39 years-old: Eight new cases (1,028 cases total)
  • 40-49 years-old: Eight new case (992 cases total)
  • 50-59 years-old: 12 new cases (923 cases total)
  • 60-69-years-old: Five new case2 (613 cases total)
  • 70-79 years-old: Two new cases (403 cases total)
  • 80-89 years-old: One new case (511 cases total)
  • 90+ years old: One new case (348 cases total)

The age of one person with COVID-19 in Ottawa is currently unknown.

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa rose above 500 after three days below that figure.

OPH reported 511 active cased of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, up from 493 on Friday.

Another 60 recoveries were recorded, bringing the total number of resolved cases in Ottawa to 6,977.

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.

 

COVID-19 CASES AROUND THE REGION

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit reported five new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday.

Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health added 10 new cases. 

The Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit reported two new cases.

Two new cases were also reported by the Renfrew County and District Health Unit.

There were two new cases reported in the Hastings Prince Edward Public Health region.

Sixty-two new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the Outaouais region of Quebec, which includes Gatineau. There have been 2,937 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Outaouais and 64 deaths since the pandemic began.

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 34 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

New outbreaks were declared at three Ottawa schools and a daycare connected to one of the schools. A new outbreak was also declared at the Montfort Long-term Care Centre. 

Outbreaks have ended at Extendicare Medex, the Sisters of Charity retirement home, and St. Vincent Hospital.

There are three open community outbreaks at unidentified workplaces in Ottawa.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Barrhaven Public School (NEW)
  2. Cornerstone Children's Centre - Heatherington Nursery School
  3. École secondaire catholique Béatrice-Desloges (NEW)
  4. École élémentaire catholique De La Découverte (NEW)
  5. École élémentaire catholique Des Pionniers
  6. École secondaire publique Louis-Riel
  7. École secondaire publique Omer-Deslauriers
  8. Esther By Child Care Centre
  9. La Coccinelle - De La Découverte (NEW)
  10. St. Mother Teresa High School
  11. St. Mother Teresa High School (2)*
  12. St. Patrick High School

*NOTE: There are two ongoing but unrelated COVID-19 outbreaks declared at St. Mother Teresa High School.

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

  1. Alta Vista Manor
  2. Beacon Heights retirement home
  3. Bridlewood Trails Retirement Home
  4. Forest Hill long-term care home
  5. Garden Terrace
  6. Glebe Centre
  7. Hôpital Montfort 4C Med
  8. Longfields Manor
  9. Maison Acceuil-Sagesse
  10. Montfort Long-term Care Centre (NEW)
  11. Park Place
  12. Robertson House
  13. Rooming house location
  14. Shelter location 
  15. St. Patrick's Home
  16. Starwood
  17. Stirling Park Retirement Home
  18. Supportive Housing location
  19. The Ottawa Hospital Rehab Centre - Special Rehab - Ward B
  20. The Ravines
  21. Valley Stream Retirement Home
  22. West End Villa

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).