April showers bring a stable COVID-19 picture for Ottawa
Recent developments:
Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are mostly stable.
Four more local people with COVID have died.
The latest
Ottawa's pandemic trends are mostly stable as some indicators remain at high levels, while others are low.
Generally, COVID indicators have remained stable or have dropped for more than three months. Increases have not risen to levels Ottawa Public Health (OPH) sees as concerning.
Experts recommend people wear masks indoors and, in Ontario, in the days after having COVID symptoms. Staying home when sick and staying up to date with COVID vaccines can also help protect vulnerable people.
Wastewater
Data from the research team shows, as of the most recent update April 23, the average coronavirus wastewater level has been stable for about 10 days.
OPH considers this level to be high, which is actually down from "very high" last week.
This average has generally stayed within the same range for a year.
Hospitals
The number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals for COVID-19 has been generally stable for about two months. The number was 15 in Tuesday's update, including two patients in ICU.
A separate count that includes patients who tested positive for COVID after being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVID complications, and those transferred from other health units is stable.
Tests, outbreaks and deaths
Ottawa has nine active COVID outbreaks, a number that is slowly dropping. According to OPH, that number is considered low — it was "high" last week.
After a slight drop to end winter, the city's COVID-19 test positivity rate has risen to around 11 per cent. OPH considers that moderate.
OPH reported 51 more COVID cases since last Friday and no more COVID deaths.
Vaccines
Nineteen per cent of Ottawans age five and older have had a COVID-19 vaccine dose within the last six months, with older age groups having higher vaccination rates. This does not factor in immunity from getting COVID.
Ontario's vaccine recommendations changed earlier this month to focus on higher-risk people.
As of the most recent weekly update, 85 per cent of Ottawa residents had at least one COVID vaccine dose, 82 per cent had at least two, 56 per cent at least three and 31 per cent at least four.
Across the region
Spread
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'s COVID-19 risk level is low.
Coronavirus wastewater averages are low and stable in Kingston and stable in Brockville and Smiths Falls. They're otherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.
The average COVID test percentage drops to about six per cent in the Kingston area, which is near the lowest mark in that region since 2021.
Hospitalizations and deaths
Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa report about 25 COVID-19 hospitalizations, with four patients in intensive care.
That regional count doesn't include Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, which shares a weekly average of its local hospitalization count. That region is down to two patients.
Western Quebec has 39 hospital patients with COVID. None of them are in intensive care. The province reports three more COVID deaths there for a total of 475.
The health unit for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties reported its 17th COVID death of the year, which is its 160th overall.
Vaccines
The Kingston area's health unit says 16 per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months. That number drops to 18 per cent in HPE, and it remains unavailable elsewhere.
Across eastern Ontario, between 79 and 90 per cent of residents age five and up have received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses, and between 52 and 65 per cent of those residents have had at least three, according to the province.
