OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting 181 more people in the city have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person has died.

This brings Ottawa's pandemic total to 22,405 laboratorty-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 484 resident deaths.

The number of known active cases of COVID-19 declined on Wednesday, as did the number of COVID-19 patients in local hospitals. The weekly incidence rate of new cases per 100,000 residents has fallen below 200, and the estimated reproduction number, which shows how many secondary cases are caused by a single infected individual over his or her infectious period, remains below 1, suggesting that viral spread is slowing.

However, the weekly testing positivity rate has risen to 11.7 per cent.

Across Ontario, the province reported 4,212 new cases of COVID-19, along with 32 new death and 4,204 newly resolved cases. Ontario reported 177 new cases in Ottawa on Wednesday. Figures from OPH often differ from those provided by the province because the respective health agencies pull data for their daily reports at different times of day.

The number of patients in ICUs across Ontario is at its highest level with 790 patients receiving intensive care.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS

Ottawa entered Ontario's COVID-19 stay-at-home order at 12:01 a.m. April 8.

Ottawa Public Health data:

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (April 13-19): 190.4 (down from 200.9)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 11.7 per cent (up from 10.9 per cent)
  • Reproduction number (seven day average): 0.95 (down from 0.99)

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.

VACCINES IN OTTAWA

As of April 21:

  • Dose 1 administered: 266,257 (+16,966 since Monday)
  • Dose 2 administered: 28,799 (+151)
  • Total doses received: 305,130 (+25,740)

Figures for doses administered include residents of Ottawa who were vaccinated outside of the city as well as non-residents who received a vaccine in Ottawa. The vast majority of doses are administered to residents of Ottawa in local clinics.

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

Ottawa Public Health data*:

  • Total B.1.1.7 (UK variant) cases: 25
  • Total B.1.351 (South Africa variant) cases: 6
  • Total P.1 (Brazil variant) cases: 0
  • Total variants of concern/mutation cases: 3,780
  • Deaths linked to variants/mutations: 11

*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.

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

The number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals with COVID-19 remains above 100, but declined on Wednesday.

There are 118 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19, down from 136 patients on Tuesday.

Twenty-seven people are in the intensive care unit, down from 34.

Of the people in hospital, one is under 10 years of age, one is 10 to 19 years old, two are in their 20s (one is in the ICU), nine are in their 30s, six are in their 40s (one is in the ICU), 24 are in their 50s (eight are in the ICU), 29 are in their 60s (10 are in the ICU), 40 are in their 70s (nine are in the ICU), 10 are in their 80s (one is in the ICU), and two are 90 or older.

These data are based on figures from Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, which refer to residents of Ottawa and does not include patient transfers from other regions.

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa remains above 3,000, but it also fell for a second day in a row, due to a large number of newly resolved cases.

Public health reports 3,239 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, down from 3,360 active cases on Tuesday.

301 more Ottawa residents have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. Ottawa Public Health reports 18,682 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 TESTING IN OTTAWA

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce said 2,331 swabs were taken at local assessment centres on April 19. Labs performed 3,456 tests on Monday.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 15 hours.

The next update from the COVID-19 Testing Taskforce is due this afternoon.

51,877 COVID-19 tests were completed across Ontario on Tuesday. 

COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: 14 new cases (1,756 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: 15 new cases (2,797 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 42 new cases (5,069 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: 29 new cases (3,348 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: 27 new cases (2,937 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: 16 new cases (2,690 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: 24 new cases (1,617 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: 11 new cases (910 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: 1 new case (780 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: 2 new cases (496 total cases)
  • Unknown: 0 new cases (5 cases total)

COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 22 new cases
  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 11 new cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 8 new cases  
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 13 new cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 0 new case
  • Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 101 new cases

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

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

There are 19 active community outbreaks. Three outbreaks are linked to office workplaces, three outbreaks are linked to restaurants, two outbreaks are linked to construction, two outbreaks are linked to manufacturing, two outbreaks are linked to warehouses, one outbreak is in a multi-unit dwelling, one outbreak is linked to a private social event, one outbreak is linked to sports and recreation, one outbreak is linked to a health workplace, one outbreak is linked to a services outbreak, one outbreak is linked to distribution, and one outbreak is linked to a transportation workplace.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Crestway Early Learning Centre (April 5) NEW
  2. Sawmill Creek Elementary School (April 6)
  3. Dr. Ernest Couture Child Care Centre (April 8)
  4. Woodroffe High School Infant/Toddler/Preschool Program (April 9) 
  5. Edelweiss Private Academy (April 10)
  6. Global Childcare Services (April 10) 
  7. Elgin Street Public School (April 12)
  8. Kids and Company Barrhaven (April 12) NEW
  9. Pleasant Park Public School – child care (April 14) 
  10. Abraar Elementary School (April 15) 
  11. Glen Ogilvie Public School (April 16) 
  12. Gloucester High School (April 16) 
  13. École élémentaire catholique Reine-des-Bois (April 17) 
  14. Alta Vista Public School (April 19) 
  15. Wee Watch Kanata Home Child Care (April 19) 

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

  1. St. Vincent Hospital - 4N (March 26)
  2. Group Home A-11533 (March 31)
  3. Queensway Carleton Hospital (April 2)
  4. William E. Hay Centre (April 3)
  5. Chartwell Heritage Retirement Home (April 6) 
  6. General Campus Warehouse (April 6)
  7. Supported Independent Living home (April 9)
  8. Group Home A-12829 (April 10)
  9. Group Home A-12867 (April 10) NEW
  10. Extendicare Medex Long-term Care Home (April 11)
  11. Group Home A-13005 (April 12)  
  12. Shelter A-13220 (April 13) 
  13. Group Home A-13275 (April 14) 
  14. Group Home A-13348 (April 14)
  15. Westwood Retirement Residence (April 16) NEW
  16. Centre d'Accueil Champlain (April 17) 
  17. Group Home A-13708 (April 17) 

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, two children or staff or household member cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a 14-day period where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the childcare establishment is considered an outbreak in a childcare establishment.

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.