Key COVID-19 numbers in Ottawa today
Ottawa's COVID-19 hospitalizations show a slight bump.
Six deaths reported Saturday.
Fewer Ottawans are getting third vaccine doses compared to last week.
COVID deaths reported in Hastings Prince Edward, Ottawa and Renfrew County.
Today's Ottawa update
There are 67 Ottawa residents in local hospitals for treatment of active COVID-19, according to Saturday's update from Ottawa Public Health (OPH).
That number had hovered close to 60 earlier this week. Nine of these patients are in an ICU, a number which has remained stable.
These hospital numbers do not include people who came to the hospital for other reasons and then test positive for COVID-19. They also don't cover people with lingering COVID-19 problems, or patients transferred from other health units.
Hospitals are also challenged by rising spread because staffing shortages lower their capacity. The number of hospital outbreaks is currently 28.
The average level of coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater, which doesn't rely on COVID-19 testing, reached its highest point on record at the start of this week. The last day of data available is now Monday after a data adjustment.
The case count has surged to record levels in many places this winter — and as the Omicron variant's spread overwhelms and limits testing, the actual number of cases in Ottawa is many times higher.
On Saturday, OPH reported 469 more COVID-19 cases and the deaths of six people.
Of the approximately 12,000 COVID-19 tests conducted outside long-term care homes from Jan. 7 to 13, about 26 per cent were positive. That's down from record levels earlier this month.
The rolling seven-day average of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases expressed per 100,000 residents is around 346, but limited testing capacity makes that metric less reliable.
Vaccines
901,196: The number of Ottawa residents age five and up with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, about 1,500 more than the last update on Wednesday. That's 91 per cent of the eligible population.
832,182 The number of Ottawa residents age five and up with at least two doses, about 2,750 more than Wednesday. That's 84 per cent of the eligible population.
454,569: The number of Ottawa residents with a third dose, about 17,000 since Wednesday. That's 46 per cent of residents age five and up — though eligibility is extremely limited for children under 18 and about 900 have had their third.
51,016: The number of children in Ottawa age five to 11 who have received their first dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, 65 per cent of that age group. About 8,300, or 11 per cent, have two doses.
Across the region
The wider region (with one exception) reports 300 COVID-19 hospital patients. Thirty-six of those patients need intensive care. Both numbers have increased since the start of the week, led by western Quebec and the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU).
Those two areas and Renfrew County reported more COVID-19 hospitalizations than ever before this week. The EOHU reported 65 in hospital and eight in ICU Friday, each count one fewer than Thursday's record.
Renfrew County reported its 17th COVID-19 death Friday.
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties reported 24 COVID-19 hospitalizations, up from 18 on Thursday. It is also now sharing wastewater information that suggests a general decline starting late last week.
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is the exception mentioned above, reporting all COVID-19 patients in its hospitals regardless of their reason for admittance, or whether they are local residents. It listed 36 patients, eight in an ICU, on Friday along with its 24th COVID death.
