Mixed bag of COVID-19 trends with low levels of concern

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 trends are mixed at low to moderate levels.

• Eight more local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

Ottawa's pandemic trends are trending in various directions at low to moderate levels, according to Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

At the end of May the city's medical officer of health said the overall COVID-19 situation is better and more stable than before, but threats remain.

Experts recommend people wear masks indoors. Staying up to date with COVID vaccines can also help protect vulnerable people. Other guidance can vary between Ontario and Quebec.

Wastewater

Data from the research team shows, as of the most recent update June 5, the average coronavirus wastewater level was low and stable for about two-and-a-half weeks, then rose for about a week, before dropping again Monday.

As of the end of last week, before that one-day drop, OPH considered the average to be moderate.

Hospitals

The number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals for COVID-19 is stable at seven, with no patients in ICU.

A separate count, which 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, remains stable.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

The city's weekly average test positivity rate has dropped to around six per cent after rising in late May. OPH says the current rate is low.

Ottawa has nine active COVID outbreaks, which has been very slowly rising for a few weeks. OPH considers this to be moderate.

The health unit reported 47 more COVID cases in the last week and five COVID deaths. It has reported 81 of these deaths this year and 1,072 overall.

Vaccines

Ontario's vaccine recommendations changed in early April to focus on higher-risk people.

Nine 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.

Age groups seen as a higher risk are also at 15 per cent or below.

This does not factor in immunity from getting COVID.

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 was low in its last update on May 29.

Coronavirus wastewater averages are otherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

The average COVID-19 test positivity was a stable six per cent in Renfrew County's weekly update and dropped to about three per cent in the Kingston area.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa report about 20 COVID-19 hospitalizations, with two 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: none in its most recent weekly update.

Western Quebec has 21 hospital patients with COVID. None of them are in intensive care.

HPE reported two more COVID deaths in its weekly update, for 23 this year and 121 overall. The province reported the 480th total COVID death in western Quebec.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 11 per cent of its population age five and older have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months.

That number is 10 per cent in HPE, and it remains unavailable elsewhere.