Ottawa reports 116 more COVID-19 cases, as 51% of children 5-11 have 1st dose

• Ottawa reports 116 cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.
• It has 12 confirmed and 110 presumed Omicron cases.
• More than half of its children age 5-11 have a vaccine dose.
• The Kingston area pushes further into local pandemic record territory.

Today's Ottawa update

Ottawa Public Health(OPH) reported 116 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and no deaths. That daily count has been above 100 five of the last six days.

The city's 845known active cases are the highest since the last week of May 2021.

OPH warnsresidents that rising cases are affecting its ability to contact traceand it's trying to quickly createmore vaccination clinic spaces. The city's testing task forceis also warning its resources are being stretched.

Numbers to watch

12: The number of confirmed Omicron variant cases among Ottawa residents, up from eight in Tuesday's report. Another 110 cases are presumed to be Omicron but need final confirmation.

3: Residents age 12 and up who are either unvaccinated or who received their first dose less than two weeks ago are threetimes more likely to contract COVID-19 than arethose who are fully vaccinated, according to data up to Dec. 10.

27: The average number of hours it takes to receive a COVID-19 test result, up significantly from the 20-hour average one week ago.

4.5%:The rate of COVID-19 tests coming back positive is higher than it's been since June 1. It was 2.1 per cent on Dec. 1.

1.21:The number of people infected by a single COVID-19 case, or R(t). Therate of spread is considered under control when the number is below one.

66.4:The overall weekly incidence rate, arolling seven-day averageof new COVID-19 cases expressed per 100,000 residents. It was 26.3 on Dec. 1.

44:The number of active COVID-19 outbreaks in Ottawa, twomore than on Tuesday. All four new outbreaks are at workplaces.

33:The number of those outbreaks in school and child-care settings, including 28 in elementary schools.

7:The number of Ottawa residents currently being treated for COVID-19 in an Ottawa hospital is stable. All current patients are 60or older.

0:The number of those Ottawa patients in an intensive care unit.

882,376:The number ofOttawa residents born in 2016 or earlierwith at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, about 2,500 more than in Monday's update. That's 88 per cent of the eligible population.

818,167:The number ofOttawa residents born in 2016 or earlier with at least two doses, about 500 more than on Monday. That's 82per cent of the eligible population.

38,673:The number of children in Ottawa born between 2010 and 2016 who have received their first dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, representing 51 per cent of the population within that age group. About 2,100 got their shot in the last twodays.

The Kingston area

373.3: The weekly incidence rate for Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington(KFL&A) Public Health is the highest in Ontario as of its Tuesday update.

1,018: Its known active case count has risen nine straight days, breaking its local record each time.

31:The number of KFL&Aresidents currently being treated for COVID-19 in a localhospital. Thirteen of them are in intensive care.

38:The number of active outbreaks in KFL&A, with 280 active cases linked to them.

Across the region

Quebec reported 48 more COVID-19 cases in the OutaouaisWednesday. Hastings Prince Edward reported 34 more cases and its active outbreaks dropped from 29 to 18. The Eastern Ontario Health Unit reported 23 more cases.

Many local health authorities have warned about an increase inCOVID-19 spread, with fears it will get worse as Omicron takes over.

Health units for theBelleville, Kingston and Leeds,Grenville and Lanark (LGL)areas, which have set pandemic records in recent days, askresidents to avoid in-persongatherings. Akwesasne's councilhas done the same.