Most Ottawa COVID-19 signals are very high

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbersare mostly rising or stable.
• Individual trends are mostlyvery high.
• RSV activity ishigh,flu numbers generally low.
• Fifteenmore local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

The city's COVID-19 numbers to watch aremostly very high, and they are either stable or risingin this week'sOttawa Public Health (OPH) updates.

The latest numbers show ahigh amount of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity,while flu trendsare mostly low.

OPHsaysthe city's health-care institutions remainat a high risk from respiratory illnesses, as they havebeen since early September.

The city is about to enter the traditional respiratory season December through Februarywith more coronavirus signal in its wastewater than at this point over the past three years, less flu signal than last year at this time, and roughly the same amount of RSV.

Expertsrecommendpeople cover coughs and sneezes,wear masks, keep their hands and often-touched surfaces clean, stay home when sick andkeepup to date with COVID and flu vaccinesto help protect themselves andvulnerable people.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows, as of Nov. 23,the average coronavirus wastewater levelis again rising to its highest point since mid-January 2023. OPH considers this very high.

Hospitals

In the past week, the average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 has risen to 79, including two patients in an ICU.

Aseparate count which includespatientswho either testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, wereadmitted for lingering COVIDcomplications or were transferred from other health unitsdrops after two weeks of significant increases.

There were54new patients in the previous week. OPH seesthis as a highnumber of new hospitalizations.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

The city's weekly average test positivity rate sits at about 20per cent. It has stayed between 15 and 20 per cent this month. OPH categorizes this as very high, up from high the last few weeks.

There are 38 active COVID outbreaks almost all are in either retirement homes or hospitals. The total remains stable but there is a very highnumber of new outbreaks.

The health unit reported 292 more COVID cases in the last weekand fourmoreCOVIDdeaths.

It also said it added 25 more deaths to its count after the province changed what it considers a COVID death. The new totalsits at 1,171 reported resident COVID deaths, including 154 so far this year.

OPH'snext COVID vaccinationupdateis expected next week.

Across the region

Spread and vaccination

The Kingston area's health unitsays its COVID trends are stable at mostly moderatelevels and it'sin ahigh-risk time for transmission. Fluindicatorsarelow and RSV trends are high and rising.

The area's average coronavirus wastewater reading is considered very high and rising, while itsaverage COVID-19 test positivity rate is a moderate, stable 14 per cent.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) says it's in a high-risk time for COVID. Its test positivity of 21 per cent and 15 active outbreaks are each considered very high, though its wastewater reading is moderate and dropping.

Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health says 15 per cent of its residents have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months, up from 13 per cent last week.

Hospitalizations and deaths

The EOHU has22 COVID hospitalizations, which it also considers very high.

The Kingston area's health unit says it has 14 active COVID-19 patients in its hospitals, including anyone living in a different health unit. That is categorized as moderate and dropping.

HPE, like Ottawa, gives a weekly COVID hospital average: a stable 17, with threeICU patients.

Western Quebec has a stable 78hospital patients with COVID. The province says there has been onemore COVID deaths there for a total of 522.

The EOHU has had seven more reported COVID deaths in the last week. The health unit forLeeds, Grenville and Lanark(LGL) counties reported three moreCOVID deaths.

LGL data goes up to Nov. 19. Renfrew County's updates come every second Thursday.