Calmer COVID period continues for Ottawa

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are low and stable, or dropping.
• The COVID risk remains low in the EOHU.
• Eight more local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

Ottawa's pandemic trends are generally lowandstable, and some are dropping, according to Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

OPHhas not indicated any concerning trend recently, which is similar to the wider region outside of Ottawa.

Expertsrecommendpeople wear masks indoors. Staying up to date with COVIDvaccinescan alsohelp protect vulnerable people. Other guidance can vary between Ontario and Quebec.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows, as of the most recent update May 4,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been low and stable for a week.

This averagegenerally stayed within the same range for a year, so thisis an outlier.

Hospitals

The number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 hasbeen dropping for a few weeks. The number was 10 in Tuesday's update, including one patientin ICU.

A separate countthat includespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplications, and thosetransferred from other health units has dropped.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawahas a stable six active COVID outbreaks and an average test positivity rate around nine per cent.According to OPH, both numbers are considered low.

OPHreported35 more COVID cases since Friday and six more COVID deaths of people ranging in age from their 40s to age 90 andabove.

Vaccines

Fifteen 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 levelremains lowbased on trends such as wastewater and test positivity.

Coronavirus wastewater averages are low and stable in both Kingstonand Brockville,and high and rising in Smiths Falls.They'reotherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

The average COVID test positivity in the Kingston area this past week was about seven per cent. It hasn't been much lower in 2023.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa report about 15COVID-19 hospitalizations, with just onepatientin intensive care in the Kingston area.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,whichshares a weekly average of itslocal hospitalization count: two in its most recently weekly update.

Western Quebec has a stable34 hospital patients with COVID. None of them arein intensive care.

Two more people with COVID have died in the EOHU. There have been 26 COVID-related deaths in that region this year and 303 overall.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 14per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months.

That number drops to 15 per cent in HPE, and it remains unavailable elsewhere.