COVID, flu, RSV levels stay high during busy gathering time
Recent developments:
Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are generally stable and very high.
Its flu and RSV activity is high.
Ten more COVID deaths have been reported locally.
The latest
The prevalence of respiratory illness has remained high in recent days as the holiday season arrives.
According to the latest numbers, COVID rates in Ottawa remain generally stable, but very high. Flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity is also high.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says the city's health-care institutions remain at high risk from respiratory illnesses, as they have been since the start of September and are expected to remain until at least March.
Experts recommend people cover coughs, wear masks inside, in crowded places and around high-risk people, keep hands and often-touched surfaces clean, stay home when sick and keep up with COVID and flu vaccines to help protect themselves and other vulnerable people — especially during one of the busiest social times of the year.
Wastewater
As of Dec. 14, the average coronavirus wastewater level had been stable for about a week after the latest peak. It's generally been rising for about five months.
OPH considers this level to be very high.
Researchers have measured and shared the amount of novel coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater since June 2020. This is the data from December 2022 to Dec. 14, 2023. (613covid.ca)
Hospitals
In the past week, the average number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals for COVID-19 is a stable 73. It has generally been in and around the 70s since early November.
A separate, wider count — which includes patients who tested positive for COVID after being admitted for other reasons, were admitted for lingering COVID complications or were transferred from other health units — is stable.
Ottawa Public Health has a COVID-19 hospital count that shows all patients who tested positive for COVID, including those admitted for other reasons and who live in other areas. (Ottawa Public Health)
There were 68 new patients in the previous week. OPH sees this as a very high number.
Tests, outbreaks and deaths
Ottawa's weekly average test positivity rate is about 16 per cent. It had been around 20 per cent for the previous month, which was seen as very high.
There are a stable 33 active COVID outbreaks, including about half in retirement homes. There is a very high number of new outbreaks.
The health unit reported 251 more COVID cases in the last week and three more COVID deaths with victims in their 40s, 70s and 80s.
Across the region
Spread and vaccination
The Kingston area's health unit says its COVID and RSV trends are stable and mostly high at moderate to very high levels, while flu trends are low to high and rising.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) says the current situation is a moderate risk for respiratory illness. COVID and flu benchmarks there are high, while other respiratory infections are moderate.
The average COVID test positivity in Renfrew County is a stable 25 per cent.
Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health says 18 per cent of its residents have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months.
Hospitalizations and deaths
The EOHU has 30 COVID hospitalizations, up from 19 a week ago.
The Kingston area's health unit says it has 28 active COVID-19 patients in its hospitals, including anyone living in a different health unit. That is seen as very high and rising.
HPE, like Ottawa, gives a weekly COVID hospital average. That has risen slightly to 23, which is its highest average of the year.
Renfrew County's health unit reports a stable six COVID hospital patients.
Western Quebec has a stable 83 hospital patients who have tested positive for COVID.
The province reported three more deaths in western Quebec in its weekly update, as did the health unit for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) counties. The EOHU has reported one in the last week.
Data for LGL goes up to Dec. 10, when its trends were generally high.
