OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health says 63 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19 and three more people have died.

The new figures bring the city's pandemic totals to 26,754 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 561 resident deaths since March 2020. 

OPH reported the deaths of two men and one woman between the ages of 60 and 79 on Wednesday. Two of the deaths were linked to a COVID-19 outbreak and one person was infected via close contact.

Fifty-four resident deaths have been reported so far this month.

Across the province, health officials added 1,095 newly confirmed infections and 2,371 newly resolved cases on Wednesday. Another 23 Ontarians have died due to COVID-19. Public Healtj Ontario added 64 cases to its total count for Ottawa. Figures from OPH often differ from Public Health Ontario's because the two health agencies pull data for their respective reports at different times of day.

Several key indicators of the COVID-19 situation in Ottawa are showing continued signs of improvement. The number of active COVID-19 cases is now below 800, the testing positivity rate is down, and the weekly incidence rate per 100,000 residents is below 50.

Despite the improvement in many key metrics, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches warned that Ottawa is still at risk of a resurgence in COVID-19 if vigilance is not maintained.

"The level of protection from the COVID vaccine right now is not sufficient," she said. "We are seeing benefit from the vaccine. We are seeing fewer older adults die, but … the hospital admissions recently are people in their 40s and 50s, and we still want to prevent all the serious illness we can."

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 (May 18 to 24): 49.4 (down from 51.7)
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa (May 19 to 25): 5.1 per cent (down from 5.7 May 17-23) 
  • Reproduction number (seven day average): 0.90

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.

COVID-19 VACCINES IN OTTAWA

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

As of May 26:

  • Ottawa residents with 1 dose: 506,835 (+11,694)
  • Ottawa residents with 2 doses: 41,652 (+2,098)
  • Total doses received in Ottawa: 527,650  

As of Wednesday, 59 per cent of Ottawa residents 18 and older had received at least one dose of the vaccine.

*Total doses received does not include AstraZeneca doses shipped to pharmacies and primary care clinics.

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

Ottawa Public Health reporting 51 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses on Wednesday.

There are 13 people in intensive care units, up from 12.

Hospitalizations (and ICU admissions) by age category:

  • 0-9: 0
  • 10-19: 1 
  • 20-29: 4 (1 in ICU)
  • 30-39: 2 (1 in ICU)
  • 40-49: 6 (2 in ICU)
  • 50-59: 10 (1 in ICU)
  • 60-69: 12 (6 in ICU)
  • 70-79: 6 (1 in ICU)
  • 80-89: 9 (1 in ICU)
  • 90+: 1

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

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of people with known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa is now below 800.

There are 796 active cases in Ottawa on Wednesday, down from 855 on Tuesday.

OPH reported that 119 more people recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. The total number of resolved cases of coronavirus in Ottawa is now 25,397.

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.

 

VARIANTS OF CONCERN

Ottawa Public Health data*:

  • Total B.1.1.7 (UK variant) cases: 5,262 (+1)
  • Total B.1.351 (South Africa variant) cases: 234 (+3)
  • Total P.1 (Brazil variant) cases: 22 
  • Total B.1.617 (India variant): 3
  • Total B.1.617.2: 1
  • Other variant: 1
  • Total variants of concern/mutation cases: 6,191 (+1)
  • Deaths linked to variants/mutations: 58 (+2)

*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 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

  • 0-9 years old: 6 new cases (2,171 total cases)
  • 10-19 years-old: 7 new cases (3,406 total cases)
  • 20-29 years-old: 13 new cases (6,017 total cases)
  • 30-39 years-old: 10 new cases (4,059 total cases)
  • 40-49 years-old: 6 new cases (3,518 total cases)
  • 50-59 years-old: 13 new cases (3,238 total cases)
  • 60-69-years-old: 5 new cases (1,911 total cases)
  • 70-79 years-old: 0 new case (1,069 total cases)
  • 80-89 years-old: 3 new cases (848 total cases)
  • 90+ years old: 0 new cases (514 total cases)
  • Unknown: 0 new cases (3 cases total)  

COVID-19 TESTING IN OTTAWA

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce said Tuesday that 554 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on Monday and labs performed 1,642 tests.

The average turnaround from the time a swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 16 hours.

Public Health Ontario says 24,008 COVID-19 tests were completed across Ontario on Tuesday.

CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION

  • Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 3 new cases
  • Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 2 new cases
  • Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 0 new cases
  • Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 3 new cases
  • Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 5 new cases
  • Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 7 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.

The active community outbreaks are: 

  • Workplace – Construction: One outbreak 
  • Workplace – Health: One outbreak
  • Workplace – Restaurant: One outbreak
  • Workplace – Retail: One outbreak

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

  1. Little Acorn Early Learning (May 8)
  2. Vanier Cooperative Childcare (May 12) 
  3. Service A L'Enfrance Aldain St-Anne (May 13)
  4. Grandir Ensemble – Licensed Home Daycare (May 14)

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

  1. Shelter A-14541 (April 25) 
  2. Montfort Hospital - 4CR - (April 26)
  3. Montfort Hospital - 3C - (April 27)
  4. Montfort Hospital - 5C (May 3)
  5. Group Home A-15690 (May 4)  
  6. Queensway Carleton Hospital – C3 (May 5) 
  7. Extendicare Starwood - 2 South (May 7) 
  8. Villa Marconi (May 10)
  9. Rooming House (A-16432) (May 11) 
  10. The Ottawa Hospital General Campus - Single Unit 5E (May 15) 
  11. Elmsmere Villa Retirement Home (May 17)
  12. Group Home A-16961 (May 18) 
  13. Centre D'Accueil Champlain (May 19) 
  14. Valley Stream Retirement Residents - Single Unit 2nd floor (May 21) 
  15. Group Home A-17246 (May 22) 
  16. The Ottawa Hospital Rehab Centre - Ward A (May 25) NEW

 As of April 7, two cases of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home with an with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the facility is considered an outbreak in a long-term care home or retirement home. One laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a staff member or resident of other institutions such as shelters, group homes, is considered an outbreak. 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 or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in patients and/or staff in a hospital setting with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the hospital is considered an outbreak in a public hospital.