OTTAWA -- Seventy-nine more Ottawa residents tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the first case of novel coronavirus in Ottawa.

Ottawa Public Health reported 79 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, the highest one-day increase in new cases in a week.

No new deaths linked to the virus were announced on Thursday.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa, there have been 15,338 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 446 deaths.

The 79 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday follows 52 new cases on Wednesday, 40 new cases on Tuesday, 57 cases on Monday and 56 cases on Sunday.

The 79 new cases is the highest one-day increase in cases since 80 new cases on March 4.

Across Ontario, there are 1,092 new laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19.  Health officials reported 293 cases in Toronto, 199 in Peel Region and 79 in York Region.

Public Health Ontario had reported 64 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday. There is sometimes a discrepancy between Ottawa Public Health and Public Health Ontario data based on when the data is collected from the reporting systems.

COVID-19 VARIANTS

Public Health Ontario reports a ninth confirmed case of the COVID-19 variant first identified in the United Kingdom in Ottawa.

There are two cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa.

Public health says there are 119 variants of concern under investigation in Ottawa.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 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): 36.8 (up from 35.6 cases on Wednesday)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.1 per cent (March 3-9)
  • Reproduction number: 0.96 (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 10:

  • Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 69,187 (up by 5,620 since Monday)*
  • COVID-19 doses received (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna): 80,540

The city received a shipment of 9,360 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday.

*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."

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health is reporting 28 people are currently in Ottawa area hospitals with COVID-19 complications, including three in the intensive care unit.

Ottawa Public Health is currently migrating its dashboard over to the provincial system, so data on the ages of the people currently in the hospital is unavailable.

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of people with known active cases remains above 500. There are 540 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, up from 530 active cases on Wednesday.

Sixty-nine more people have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. Ottawa Public Health reports 14,352 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.

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: Nine new cases (1,149 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: 16 new cases (1,900 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 15 new cases (3,335 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: 11 new cases (2,172 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: 14 new cases (1,967 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: Nine new cases (1,853 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: Two new cases (1,113 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: Two new cases (675 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: One new case (705 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: Zero new cases (466 total cases)
  • Unknown: Zero new cases (3 cases total)

COVID-19 TESTING IN OTTAWA

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce reports 2,386 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on March 9.

A total of 5,383 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Tuesday.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site in Ottawa to the result is 25 hours.

COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 18 new cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health: One new case
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 8 new cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 2 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.

There is a new COVID-19 outbreak at Extendicare Medex. No details were released.

The COVID-19 outbreaks at Extendicare New Orchard and the Ottawa Hospital General Campus are over.

There are three active community outbreaks: one is linked to a construction workplace, one is linked to a services workplace, 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
  6. Ottawa Islamic School
  7. Ottawa Torah Institute 
  8. 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. Etendicare Medex (NEW)
  5. Forest Hill
  6. Group Home
  7. Madonna Care Community
  8. Manotick Place Retirement
  9. Perley Rideau Veteran's Health Centre – Gatineau Building
  10. Riverpark Retirement Residence
  11. Rockcliffe Retirement Residence
  12. Sarsfield Colonial Home
  13. Shelter - Jan. 11
  14. Shelter - Jan. 26
  15. Shelter - Jan. 27
  16. Shelter - Feb. 22
  17. Shelter - Feb. 24
  18. St. Vincent Hospital
  19. The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A2
  20. The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A4 (Medicine)/A5/B5/Ama

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.