Rising hospitalizations, outbreaks disrupt Ottawa's COVID stability

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 hospitalizations and outbreaks rise.
• Its average test positivity and wastewater reading are stable.
• Sevenmore peoplewith COVID have died in the region.

The latest

After weeks of stability, some of Ottawa's COVID-19 trends have risen to levels last seen in January.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) saysCOVID-19 indicators are generally stableat moderate to high levels, which has remained consistentfor most of 2023.

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.

Non-COVID respiratoryvirus levels are generally low and/or seasonal.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows the average coronavirus wastewater level is stable after a slow drop to start the month.

The most recent data is from March 14. OPH considers this level to be high.

Hospitals

The number of patients with COVID-19 in local hospitals rises to 26, which is similar to numbers seen most of the second half of2022 and start of 2023.

Three patients are in intensive care.

A separate countthat includespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplications, and thosetransferred from other health units is now also similar to January numbers.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawa has 22 active COVID outbreaks, which increased this week afterdropping earlier this month. The number is considered high by OPH.

The city'sCOVID-19 test positivity rate has remainedbetween 11 and 13 per cent since the start of February, which OPH calls moderate.

OPH has reported 111 more COVID cases since Tuesday and thedeathof someone in their 80s with COVID.

So far,1,028Ottawa residents have died with COVID as a contributing or underlying factor. Thirty-sixof those people have died this year.

Vaccines

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

That translates to about 750,000 people in that age range without the recommended vaccine protection.It does not factor inimmunity from getting COVID.

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

Coronavirus wastewater averages are stableinKingston.They'reotherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

The average COVID-19 test positivity remains high around 16 per cent in Renfrew County.

TheEastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'sCOVID risk levelremains moderate.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa report 35COVID-19 hospitalizations, with ninepatients in intensive care.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,which has a different counting method. Its local hospitalization count is stable.

Western Quebec has 59COVID hospital patients, its lowest count since July 2022. Twoof them arein intensive care.

The province reported five more COVID deaths in the region for a total of 407. Renfrew County report its 86th COVID death in its weekly update.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 28 per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months. It's26 per cent in HPE and 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.