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Record-breaking 1,508 new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa

Signs outside the COVID-19 assessment centre at the Brewer Arena in Ottawa. (CTV News Ottawa) Signs outside the COVID-19 assessment centre at the Brewer Arena in Ottawa. (CTV News Ottawa)
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The city of Ottawa is seeing a record number of new COVID-19 cases on the final day of 2021.

Ottawa Public Health reported 1,508 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, smashing the previous record of 867 cases on Boxing Day.

A total of 724 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa involve residents under the age of 30.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa in March 2020, there have been 42,102 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa.

There were 771 new cases on Thursday.

Across the province, there are a record 16,713 cases of COVID-19 on Friday.  The previous record for cases of COVID-19 in Ontario was 13,807 on Thursday.

The high case numbers come as Ontario introduces new testing guidelines for COVID-19.

Starting today, PCR testing is only available for symptomatic high-risk individuals and those who work in the highest risk settings, as well as vulnerable populations.

For a full list of those eligible for PCR testing, click here.

OTTAWA'S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS

  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (Dec 23 to Dec. 29): 483.2 (up from 414.2) 
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa (Dec. 24 to Dec. 30): 28.5 per cent (up from 22.5 per cent)
  • Reproduction number (Seven day average): 1.17

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. 

CASES BY VACCINATION IN ONTARIO

  • New cases among unvaccinated residents: 2,278 (85,58 per 100,000)
  • New cases among partially vaccinated residents: 647 (90.83 per 100,000)
  • New cases among fully vaccinated residents: 13,436 (118.3 per 100,000)
  • New cases with unknown vaccination status: 352

Health Minister Christine Elliott says there are 1,144 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 205 people in the ICU.

 (n.b. The rate per 100,000 population is used to compare the total populations of unvaccinated individuals, partially vaccinated, and fully vaccinated individuals against each other, as their respective populations are different. There are more fully vaccinated people in Ontario than there are unvaccinated people in Ontario, so a calculation dividing new cases by the respective populations and then multiplying that figure by 100,000 is used as a comparative measure. Rates per 100,000 are published daily by the Ontario government.)

COVID-19 VACCINES IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health releases vaccine numbers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

As of Friday:

  • Ottawa residents with 1 dose (5+): 893,009 (+1,129)
  • Ottawa residents with 2 doses (5+): 821,546 (+794)
  • Ottawa residents with 3 doses (12+): 296,636 (+28,809) 
  • Share of population five and older with at least one dose: 90 per cent
  • Share of population five and older fully vaccinated: 83 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 7,166 known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, up from 6,076 cases on Thursday. With COVID-19 testing capacity strained, the actual number of active cases is unknown.

Ottawa Public Health reported 418 newly resolved cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The total number of resolved cases of coronavirus in Ottawa is 34,315.

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.

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

There are 21 people in Ottawa hospitals on Friday with an active COVID-19 infection, up from 13 people on Thursday.

There are three people in the ICU.

Age categories of people in hospital:

  • 0-9: 0
  • 10-19: 0
  • 20-29: 2
  • 30-39: 0
  • 40-49: 0
  • 50-59: 1
  • 60-69: 3
  • 70-79: 9 (2 in ICU)
  • 80-89: 6 (1 in the ICU)
  • 90+: 0

(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: 127 new cases (4,116 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: 207 new cases (5,821 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 390 new cases (9,570 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: 245 new cases (6,668 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: 185 new cases (5,550 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: 182 new cases (4,710 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: 89 new cases (2,666 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: 43 new cases (1,399 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: 25 new cases (1,005 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: 14 new cases (593 total cases)
  • Unknown: Zero active cases (3 cases total)

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

  • Total Alpha (B.1.1.7) cases: 6,848
  • Total Beta (B.1.351) cases: 513
  • Total Gamma (P.1) cases: 55
  • Total Delta (B.1.617.2) cases: 1,691
  • Total Omicron (B.1.1.529) cases: 168
  • Total variants of concern/mutation cases: 15,350
  • Deaths linked to variants/mutations: 124

*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 Taskforce reports 2,880 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on Dec. 29.

A total of 4,641 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Wednesday.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 31 hours.

CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 285 new cases
  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 226 new cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 287 new cases
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 248 new cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 86 new cases

COVID-19 OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health reports COVID-19 outbreaks at institutions and community outbreaks in Ottawa.

Community outbreaks:

  • Sports & Recreation– Recreation: One outbreaks
  • Workplace – Recreation: One outbreak
  • Workplace – Restaurant: One outbreak
  • Workplace – Services: One outbreak

Schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks: 

  1. École élémentaire catholique St. François d'Assise (Nov. 24)
  2. Jockvale Elementary School (Dec. 10) 
  3. Glebe Collegiate Institute (Dec. 13) 
  4. École élémentaire catholique Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Dec. 14)
  5. Sacred Heart High School (Dec. 14) 
  6. École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité (Dec. 15) 
  7. Ottawa Forest & Nature Licenced Childcare (Dec. 15) 
  8. St. Peter High School (Dec. 15) 
  9. Torah Academy of Ottawa (Dec. 16)
  10. Garderie Providence Services de Garde Agréés en Centre (Dec. 16)
  11. La Coccinelle Le Prelude Licenced Childcare (Dec. 16)
  12. Merivale High School (Dec. 16) 
  13. Sir Wilfrid Laurier Seconday School (Dec. 16) 
  14. École élémentaire catholique Alain Fortin (Dec. 17) 
  15. École élémentaire catholique Montfort (Dec. 17) 
  16. St. Patrick Elementary School (Dec. 17) 
  17. Fallingbrook Licenced Childcare (Dec. 18)
  18. Ruddy Family Y Licenced Childcare (Dec. 18)
  19. Borden Farm Licenced Childcare (Dec. 20)
  20. École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Geneviève (Dec. 20) 
  21. MIFO Services de Garde Agréés en Centre - Chapel Hill (Dec. 20)
  22. École élémentaire catholique de la Découverte (Dec. 21)
  23. École secondaire catholique Paul-Desmarais (Dec. 21)
  24. École secondaire catholique Pierre-Savard (Dec. 21)
  25. École secondaire publique Gisèle-Lalonde (Dec. 21)
  26. Steve MacLean Public School (Dec. 21)
  27. École élémentaire catholique Franco-Ouest (Dec. 22) 
  28. École élémentaire catholique Terre-des-Jeunes (Dec. 22)
  29. Andrew Fleck Licenced home childcare - Orleans (Dec. 23)
  30. École élémentaire catholique l'Étoile de l'Est (Dec. 23)
  31. École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Bernadette (Dec. 23)
  32. Portia Licenced Childcare - Kanata (Dec. 23)
  33. Churchill Carling Licenced Childcare (Dec. 24)
  34. Dow's Lake Licenced Childcare (Dec. 24)
  35. Forest Valley Program Licenced Childcare (Dec. 26)
  36. Portia Learning Centre – Licensed Centre-Based Child Care (Dec. 28)
  37. Camp A-29425 (Dec. 28)

Healthcare and congregate settings experiencing outbreaks:

  • St. Patrick's Home - Floors 2, 3, 4, 5 (Nov. 17)
  • Group Home (Dec. 6)
  • Group Home (Dec. 7)
  • Alta Vista Manor Retirement Home - Floors 3, 4 (Dec. 15)
  • Extendicare Starwood - Unit 2 (Dec. 19) 
  • The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus - Unit A3 (Dec. 19) 
  • Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre (Dec. 21)
  • Peter D. Clark long-term care home - Floor 1 Elm & Bungalow, Floor 2 Pine & Maple (Dec. 21)
  • The Glebe Centre (Dec. 21)
  • Group Home (Dec. 22)
  • Robertson House Retirement Community - Maintenance and Laundry Services (Dec. 22) 
  • Manotick Place Retirement Home - Floor 3 (Dec. 23)
  • Saint Vincent Hospial – 2 South Union (Dec. 23) 
  • Valley Stream Retirement Residence - Maintenance and Laundry (Dec. 23)
  • Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital - Rehab Unit 3 (Dec. 24)
  • Hopital Montfort - ICU (Dec. 24)
  • Landmark Court Retirement Home - Floor 4 (Dec. 24)
  • Queensway Carleton Hospital - Unit D3 (Dec. 24)
  • The Ottawa Hospital General Campus - Unit 5E (Dec. 24)
  • Extendicare New Orchard Lodge - Floor 1 (Dec. 25)
  • The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus - Unit A5/B5/AMA/A4 North Medicine (Dec. 25)
  • Madonna Care Communuty - 3rd floor Pine Ridge (Dec. 27)
  • Les Jardins Camilla Gardens (Dec. 27) NEW
  • Revera Hunt Club Manor - Floor 3 (Dec. 28)
  • Group Home (A-29568) (Dec. 28) NEW
  • Willowbend Retirement Community (Dec. 29) NEW
  • Supported Independent Living A-29744 (Dec. 29) NEW

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