Ottawa COVID trends once again stable after brief rise

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are mostly dropping.
• The EOHU's COVID risk remains moderate.
• Sixmore peoplewith COVIDhavedied in the region.

The latest

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

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 levelhas 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.

Hospitals

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

One patient isin 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 dropping to its lowest point of 2023.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

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

The city'sCOVID-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 washigh.

OPHreported 86more COVID cases since Fridayand thedeaths of four people who hadCOVID, all age 70 and older.

Vaccines

Twenty-sixper 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 inimmunity from getting COVID.

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

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averages are stablein the Kingston areaand generally low in the.Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU).They'reotherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

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

The EOHU'sCOVID risk levelremains moderatewith rising outbreaks and test positivity but total hospitalizations dropping.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa reportabout 30COVID-19 hospitalizations, with eight patients 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 63COVID hospital patients.One of them isin 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 24per 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.