OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting 16 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19, the lowest figure in over a week.
However, the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 increased for a second day in a row after dropping to a low of 18 on the weekend.
The figures come one day after the provincial government announced a 28-day lockdown for southern and eastern Ontario, including Ottawa, despite relatively low figures compared to other parts of the province.
Health officials reported 2,202 new cases of COVID-19 across Ontario along with 21 new deaths. There were 636 new cases in Toronto, 504 in Peel, 218 in York Region and 172 in Windsor-Essex County, which are already in lockdown status.
According to Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 9,400 total lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began.
No new deaths were reported in Ottawa for a fourth straight day, leaving the city's death toll from the pandemic at 389 citizens.
OTTAWA COVID-19 STATUS: ORANGE-RESTRICT
Ottawa remains in the "Orange-Restrict" level under the provincial reopening framework. Ottawa moved into the restriction level on Nov. 7.
A provincewide lockdown will move Ottawa into lockdown status as of 12:01 a.m. Dec. 26.
The "Orange-Restrict" level is for areas with a weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people of between 25 and 39.9, a positivity rate between 1.3 per cent and 2.4 per cent and a reproduction number of 1 to 1.1.
Here is where Ottawa stands on those metrics currently, according to Ottawa Public Health:
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 27.0
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.4 per cent (Dec. 11 to 17)
- Reproduction Number: 0.96 (seven day average)
The "Yellow-Protect" level requires a weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people of between 10 and 24.9, a positivity rate between 0.5 per cent and 1.2 per cent and a reproduction number of "approximately 1", according to the province.
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA
The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 rose for a second day in a row in Tuesday's report.
OPH says there are 20 people in hospital, up from 19 on Monday, and 18 on Sunday.
However, this is also the fourth straight day of there being zero COVID-19 patients in intensive care units in the city.
Of the people in hospital, one is in their 20s, one is in their 30s, one is in their 40s, one is in their 50s, three are in their 60s, five are in their 70s, seven are in their 80s, and one is 90 or older.
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
The number of people with active COVID-19 infections has dropped to 330 from 378 on Monday.
OPH reported 64 additional recoveries from COVID-19 in Ottawa, bringing the city's number of resolved cases to 8,681.
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.
CASES OF COVID-19 BY AGE CATEGORY
Here is a breakdown of all known COVID-19 cases in Ottawa by age category:
- 0-9 years old: One new case reassigned (652 cases total)
- 10-19 years-old: Six new cases (1,121 cases total)
- 20-29 years-old: Five new cases (1,956 cases total)
- 30-39 years-old: Three new cases (1,288 cases total)
- 40-49 years-old: Two new cases (1,178 cases total)
- 50-59 years-old: Zero new cases (1,097 cases total)
- 60-69-years-old: One new cases (722 cases total)
- 70-79 years-old: Zero new cases (462 cases total)
- 80-89 years-old: Zero new case (546 cases total)
- 90+ years old: Zero new cases (378 cases total)
TESTING
Public Health Ontario says 45,265 COVID-19 tests were performed across Ontario on Monday and 47,872 remain under investigation.
The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce said on Tuesday afternoon that 2,282 swabs were taken at COVID-19 assessment centres on Monday and that local labs performed 3,454 tests. There are 3,330 tests still in progress as of Dec. 22.
Ottawa's positivity rate for the week of Dec. 11 to 17 was 1.4 per cent
The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result was 30 hours.
CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION
Public Health Ontario is reporting the following in public health units around eastern Ontario:
- Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 6 new cases
- Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 3 new cases
- Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 6 new cases
- Leeds, Greenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 3 new cases
- Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 0 new cases
The Quebec government reported 29 new cases of COVID-19 in the Outaouais region, which includes Gatineau.
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 21 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
No new outbreaks were declared on Tuesday.
The outbreaks at an Ottawa group home and at the Forest Hill long-term care home have ended.
There are four active community outbreaks, all linked to unidentified workplaces. OPH does not name which workplaces have outbreaks or how many cases are linked to each workplace outbreak.
To date, there have been 42 workplace outbreaks in Ottawa (4 active, 38 closed) accounting for 231 cases of COVID-19 and one death.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
- École élémentaire catholique Terre-Des-Jeunes
- Pleasant Park Public School
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
- Association Intégration Sociale d'Ottawa – 21034
- Besserer Place (NEW)
- Bridlewood Trails Retirement Home
- Cité Parkway
- Courtyards on Eagleson
- Extendicare Medex
- Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
- Extendicare Starwood
- Extendicare West End Villa
- Madonna Care Community
- Maison Accueil-Sagesse
- Manotick Place Retirement Home
- Maycourt Hospice
- Montfort Hospital - 3C, 4C
- Parkway House
- Rudy Shenkman Hospice
- Village at the Glebe Retirement Residence
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).
