OTTAWA -- Ottawa’s medical officer of health says the snapshot of COVID-19 across Ottawa shows “COVID is everywhere in our community.”
On Wednesday, Ottawa Public Health released a map of Ottawa showing the rates of COVID-19 per 100,000 people in all 23 wards across the city.
The health unit stressed the map cannot be used to identify “COVID-19 hot spots” in Ottawa, adding areas with lower or higher rates are not more or less “safe from COVID-19 transmission.”
The data releasd on Wednesday shows residents in all wards have tested positive for COVID-19.
Rideau-Rockcliffe has the highest rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases, at 139 cases per 100,000 people. Alta Vista ward was second at 130 cases per 100,000, followed by Barrhaven at 122 per 100,000 residents and College and Rideau-Vanier wards at 113 cases per 100,000 residents.
Dr. Vera Etches said COVID-19 transmission can happening anywhere in Ottawa.
When asked what sticks out to her on the maps, Dr. Etches told reporters “COVID is everywhere in our community, it crosses the geography.”
“That’s really the only useful thing about the maps. It just isn’t that great data because it is only based on the tests that have been done, only based on where people live, it doesn’t tell us about where they were exposed.”
Dr. Etches notes people wanted to know where the COVID-19 cases are located, so they produced the maps with the data available.
The map also shows the number of COVID-19 cases in long-term care homes and retirement homes in wards. Bay ward has the highest number of institution cases, with 185 cases.
Dr. Etches says Ottawa Public Health will update the maps every two weeks.
