April starts and ends relatively stable when it comes to COVID-19

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are mostly stable.
• Only 1 trend is higher than it was to start April.
• Threemore local people with COVID have died.

The latest

Ottawa's pandemic trends are mostly stable. Only the average test positivity, which remains moderate,is higher in this last update of April than it was at the start of the month.

Generally, COVID indicators have remained stable or have droppedfor more thanthree 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, as of the most recent update April 25,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been stable for nearly two weeks.

It's below where levels sat at the start ofApril. OPHconsiders this level to behigh.

This average has generally stayed within the same range for a year and did not spike as in past Aprils.

Two of the three highest wastewater averages on record were in April 2021 and 2022. Data doesn't go back to April 2020.

Hospitals

The number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 hasbeen generally stable for about two months. The number was 15 in Friday's update, including one patientin ICU.

That's around where it was at the start of April.

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 and lower than the 64 reported in the first update of the month.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawahasseven active COVID outbreaks, a number that is slowly dropping and lower than the 12 it hadApril 1. According to OPH, that numberis considered low.

After a slight drop to end winter, the city'sCOVID-19 test positivity ratehas risen to around 11 per cent andstayed there for about 10 days. OPH considers thatmoderate. It was about eight per cent at the start of the month.

OPHreported 67more COVID cases since Tuesday and two more COVID deaths, both people age 90 or above.

Vaccines

Nineteen per 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 in early Aprilto focus onhigher-risk people.

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 levelislow.

Coronavirus wastewater averages are low and stable in Kingston.They'reotherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

The average COVID test positivity in Renfrew County is about 12 per cent, about the same as last week and in the same range it's been for 2023.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa report about 25COVID-19 hospitalizations, withfourpatients in intensive care.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,whichshares a weekly average of itslocal hospitalization count. That region is down to two patients.

Western Quebec has 39 hospital patients with COVID. None of them arein intensive care.

Renfrew County's health unit reported its 88th total COVID death.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 16per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months. That number drops to 18 per cent in HPE, and it remains unavailable elsewhere.

Across eastern Ontario, as of April 13, 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.