Ottawa's stable COVID-19 spring ticks on

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are generallystable.
• The EOHU's COVID risk level drops.
• More than 150 local peoplewith COVIDhave now died in 2023.

The latest

Generally, Ottawa's COVID indicators have remained stable or have droppedfor aboutthree months. Increases have not risen tolevels Ottawa Public Health (OPH) sees as concerning.

Expertsrecommendpeople wear masks indoorsand, in Ontario, in the daysafter having COVID symptoms. Staying home when sickandstaying up to date with COVIDvaccinescan alsohelp protect vulnerable people.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows the average coronavirus wastewater levelwas slowly, unevenly rising for about a month. As of April 16, it had dropped three of the previous four days.

OPHconsiders this level to be very high. The highest reading on record was about a year ago.

Hospitals

The number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 hasbeen generally stable around 20 for about two months. It's 16in Tuesday's update, with no ICU patients.

A separate countthat includespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplications, and thosetransferred from other health units is stable.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawahas a stable 13 active COVID outbreaks, all but one in a care home. According to OPH, that numberis considered moderate.

The city'sCOVID-19 test positivity rate has stayed around eight or nineper cent this month, which OPH says is also moderate.

OPHreported 52more COVID cases since Friday and thedeaths of two people who hadCOVID, both age 80 or above.

Vaccines

Twenty-oneper 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. Thisdoes not factor inimmunity from getting COVID.

Ontario's vaccine recommendations changed earlier this monthto focus onhigher-risk people.

Ottawa residents went for about 200COVID vaccine doses in the last six days, according to OPH.

As of the most recent weekly update, 85per cent of Ottawa residents had at least one COVIDvaccine dose, 82per cent had at least two, 56per cent at least three and 31 per cent at least four.

Across the region

Spread

TheEastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'sCOVID-19 risk levelmoves from moderate to low.

Coronavirus wastewater averages are stable in Kingston,Brockville and Smiths Falls.They'reotherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

The Kingston area's health unit says regular testing of wastewater has stopped in Amherstview, pointing to aprovincial wastewater page that mentionsa strategic sampling plan starting this month.

That area's average COVID test positivity drops to around nine per cent.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa report20COVID-19 hospitalizations, withfourpatients in intensive care.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,whichshares a weekly average of itslocal hospitalization count. Thatdrops toaround six patients.

Western Quebec has 40 hospital patients with COVID. None of them arein intensive care.

One more COVIDdeath was reported in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties. Including Ottawa, more than 150 local COVID deaths have now been reported in 2023.

About 600 of these deaths happened in 2020, another 500 in 2021 and more than 1,000 last year.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 18per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months. Itdrops to 20per cent in HPE and remains unavailable elsewhere.

Across eastern Ontario, between 79 and90 per cent of residents age five and up have received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses, and between 52 and65 per cent of those residentshave hadat leastthree, according to the province.