Key COVID-19 numbers in the Ottawa area today

• Ottawa's hospitalizations drop.
• Its number of outbreaks has nearly doubled in a week.
• The city reports its first COVID-19 death in more than a week.
• The most recent Ottawa wastewater data is still from Wednesday.

Today's Ottawa update

Hospitals

Sixteen Ottawa residents are in local hospitals for treatment of active COVID-19according to Tuesday's OPHupdate. That number wasaround 20 for about a week before this drop.

One of the patientsis in intensive care.

Hospitalization figures don't includepatients admitted for other reasons whothen tested positive for COVID-19. Nor do they include those admitted for lingering COVID-19complications, nor patients transferredfrom other health units.

That number hasstabilized.

Cases and outbreaks

Testing strategies have changedunderthe contagiousOmicron variant, which means many newCOVID-19 casesaren't reflected in current counts. Public health only tracks and reports outbreaks that occur in health-care settings.

On Tuesday, OPH reported 109 moreCOVID-19 cases and the death of someone in their 80s who had COVID. It's the city's third COVID death reported this April and its first in more than a week.

The health unit also reported an increaseto 41health-care outbreaks, which had been at 21 one week ago. The 12 active outbreaks in grouphomes are the most of any setting.

The rolling weekly incidence rate of newly confirmedCOVID-19 cases, expressed per 100,000 residents, remainsaround 120.

Wastewater

Theaverage level of coronavirus detected in Ottawa'swastewaterwas at another record high with the last update (the bold red line in the graph below).

The most recent daily reading on Wednesday (the bars in thegraph) was its highest ever and much higher than levels measured in the first Omicron wave in January and last spring's Alpha-driven wave.

Those records don't reflect the first wave of the pandemicwhen wastewater was not monitored for traces of the virus.

Wastewater is a keyindicatorof whatOttawa Public Health (OPH)calls a concerning resurgence of COVID-19in the city. Health officials in the Ottawa area highly recommend people take steps to protect themselves and others.

Vaccines and tests

At 19 per cent, the averagepositivity rate for those who received PCR tests outside long-term care homes is high and stable. The averagein these homes rises toaround sevenper cent. The next test update is expected Wednesday.

As of Monday's weekly update, 92 per cent of eligible Ottawa residents have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 89per cent have at least two, and 62per cent of residents age 12 and up have at least three.

About 17,700 fourth vaccine doses hadbeen given in Ottawa, not necessarily to residents.

Across the region

OntarioandQuebecare in the midst of another pandemic wave.

Eastern Ontario hasthe highest regional wastewater average, according tothe province's science table.

Recent wastewaterdata from the Kingston areaincludes stable, high levels in the city. The wastewater signal is rising or stable across Leeds, Grenville and Lanark(LGL) counties.

Western Quebec's 38local COVID hospitalizations reportedMonday by far lead the region. Theywereup from 11 one week beforehand. One patient needsintensive care.

Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa are reporting about 35COVID-19 hospitalizations. Sixof them are in intensive care.

Neither of those numbersincludes Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, whichhas a different method of counting patients.

Health expertssay hospitalizations may not get as high this wave because of immunity, both fromvaccines and previousinfection, and antiviral treatments. Vulnerable people, includingchildren, are still at higher risk of serious health problems.