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Ottawa COVID trends once again stable after brief rise

Unlike March during the three years prior, the COVID-19 situation has not exploded in 2023. (Jean Delisle/CBC - image credit)
Unlike March during the three years prior, the COVID-19 situation has not exploded in 2023. (Jean Delisle/CBC - image credit)

Recent developments:

  • Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are mostly dropping.

  • The EOHU's COVID risk remains moderate.

  • Six more people with COVID have died in the region.

The latest 

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says most COVID-19 indicators are dropping again after a brief rise. They were generally seen as high last week.

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 the average coronavirus wastewater level has been slowly rising for about 10 days to where it was at the start of the month.

The most recent data is from March 23. OPH considers this level to be high.

613covid.ca
613covid.ca

Hospitals

The number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals for COVID-19 drops to 18. It's been in the same general range since the second half of 2022.

One patient is in intensive care.

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 dropping to its lowest point of 2023.

Ottawa Public Health
Ottawa Public Health

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawa also has 18 active COVID outbreaks, which is dropping. It was considered high by OPH in last Wednesday's update.

The city's COVID-19 test positivity rate settles back down to around 12 per cent, where it spent several weeks before a brief recent rise. OPH also said last week this was high.

OPH reported 86 more COVID cases since Friday and the deaths of four people who had COVID, all age 70 and older.

Vaccines

Twenty-six per cent of Ottawans age five and older have had a COVID-19 vaccine dose within the last six months, as is generally recommended, with older age groups having higher rates.

That translates to about 775,000 people in that age range without the recommended vaccine protection. It does not factor in immunity from getting COVID.

Ottawa Public Health
Ottawa Public Health

Ottawa residents received about 250 COVID vaccine doses in the last week.

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

Coronavirus wastewater averages are stable in the Kingston area and generally low in the.Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU). They're otherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

The average test positivity in the Kingston area is around 10 per cent.

The EOHU's COVID risk level remains moderate with rising outbreaks and test positivity but total hospitalizations dropping.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa report about 30 COVID-19 hospitalizations, with eight patients in intensive care.

That regional count doesn't include Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, which has a different counting method. Its local hospitalization count is stable.

Western Quebec has 63 COVID hospital patients. One of them is in intensive care.

HPE reported its 114th COVID death in its weekly update. The EOHU reported its 297th COVID death.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 24 per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months. It's also 24 per cent in HPE and 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.