Active COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Ottawa drop on Sunday; 123 new cases, 1 new death

OTTAWA -- Ottawa Public Health is reporting 123 more people in the city have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more resident has died.

However, the health unit is also reporting the number of active cases in Ottawa down slightly from its record high on Saturday.

There are also fewer people in the hospital with COVID-19.

Across the province, 3,422 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, along with 69 new deaths. Ontario health officials added 144 new cases of COVID-19 to the city's total on Sunday.

New case counts from OPH and from the province often differ due to different data collection times.

Ottawa's weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 residents has also declined from 88.9 on Saturday to 85.6 on Sunday. Other weekly metrics, such as the estimated reproduction number and the positivity rate are holding steady.

According to Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 12,286 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began and 403 residents have died.

OTTAWA'S COVID-19 KEY STATISTICS

A province-wide lockdown went into effect on Dec. 26, 2020. Ottawa Public Health moved Ottawa into its red zone in early January.

A provincial stay-at-home order has been in effect since Jan. 14, 2021.

Ottawa Public Health data:

•  COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 85.6 cases
•  Positivity rate in Ottawa: 4.1 per cent (Jan. 8 - Jan. 14)
•  Reproduction number: 1.03 (seven day average)

Reproduction values greater than 1 indicate the virus is spreading and each case infects more than one contact. If it is less than 1, it means spread is slowing. 

VACCINES

Ontario health officials say 11,007 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in the province on Saturday for a total of 200,097 since vaccinations began.

21,714 people have completed their vaccinations by receiving both required doses.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson told CTV News at Six on Saturday that the City had administered 19,980 doses of vaccine. The Ottawa Hospital said the city had received 22,245 total doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to date last week.

Health Canada says Ontario has so far received 277,050 doses of COVID-19 vaccines as of Jan. 14, 224,250 of which are the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 52,800 of which are the Moderna vaccine.

ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA

The number of people in Ottawa with known active cases of COVID-19 has dropped slightly after reaching a record high of 1,286 on Saturday.

OPH says there are 1,274 people now dealing with active cased of COVID-19 in Ottawa. 

The number of people whose cases have resolved rose by 134 on Sunday to a citywide total of 10,609 since the start of the pandemic.

The number of active cases is the number of total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.

HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA

The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 symptoms and in intensive care units fell by two on Sunday.

There are now 38 people in hospital with COVID-19, eight of whom are in the ICU.

Of the people in hospital, one is between the ages of 10 and 19 (this person is in the ICU), one is in their 30s (this person is in the ICU), one is in their 40s, three are in their 50s, eight are in their 60s (three are in the ICU), eight are in their 70s (three are in the ICU), nine are in their 80s and seven are 90 or older.

TESTING

Ontario health officials say 60,183 COVID-19 tests were performed provincewide on Saturday and 30,103 tests remain under investigation.

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce does not provide local testing updates on weekends. In its most recent report on Friday, the taskforce said 1,491 swabs were taken at assessment centres in Ottawa on Jan. 14 and 7,262 tests were performed.

The next update from the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce will be released on Jan. 18.

CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY

Here is a breakdown of all known COVID-19 cases in Ottawa by age category:

•  0-9 years old: 14 new cases (874 total cases)
•  10-19 years-old: 10 new cases (1,547 total cases)
•  20-29 years-old: 29 new cases (2,601 total cases)
•  30-39 years-old: 23 new cases (1,683 total cases)
•  40-49 years-old: 18 new cases (1,610 total cases)
•  50-59 years-old: 18 new cases (1,462 total cases)
•  60-69-years-old: 5 new cases (891 total cases)
•  70-79 years-old: 2 new cases (561 total cases)
•  80-89 years-old: 3 new cases (630 total cases)
•  90+ years old: 0 new cases (423 total cases)
•  Unknown: 1 new case (4 cases total)

COVID-19 CASES AROUND THE REGION

•  Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 45 new cases
•  Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 5 new cases
•  Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 2 new cases
•  Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 6 new cases
•  Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 1 case removed
•  Outaouais region: 22 new cases

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 36 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

Three more outbreaks were declared at local group homes. Outbreaks at Portobello Retirement Residence and Manoir Marochel have ended.

There are seven active community outbreaks.

Three are linked to health workplaces, one is in a multi-unit dwelling, one is linked to an office workplace, one is linked to a distribution centre, and one is linked to a services workplace.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

1. Andrew Fleck Children's Services - Licensed home daycare
2. Greenboro Children's Centre
3. Montessori by Brightpath
4. Ruddy Family Y Child Care
5. Services à l'enfance Grandir Ensemble - La Maisonée - 28627

The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

1. Alta Vista Manor
2. Besserer Place
3. Centre D'Accueil Champlain
4. Chartwell Duke of Devonshire Retirement Home
5. Colonel By Retirement Home
6. Extendicare Laurier Manor
7. Extendicare Medex
8. Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
9. Extendicare West End Villa
10. Forest Hill
11. Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home
12. Grace Manor Long-term Care Home
13. Granite Ridge long-term care home
14. Group Home - 28608
15. Group Home - 28740
16. Group Home - 28848
17. Group Home - 29045 (NEW)
18. Group Home - 29049 (NEW)
19. Group Home - 29052 (NEW)
20. Hillel Lodge
21. Madonna Care Community
22. Oakpark Retirement Community
23. Redwoods Retirement Residence
24. Shelter - 28365
25. Sisters of Charity Couvent Mont Saint-Joseph
26. Sisters of Charity Maison Mère
27. St. Patrick's Home
28. Supported Independent Living - 28110
29. Valley Stream Retirement Residence
30. Villa Marconi
31. Villagia in the Glebe Retirement Residence

A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, a single confirmed, symptomatic case in a staff member, home daycare provider, or child triggers an outbreak.

Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).