COVID stable in Ottawa as health unit looks to months ahead

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 trendsare stable.
• Its health unit says this respiratory illness season should resemble last year's.
• Health Canada approves Moderna's updated COVIDvaccine.
• The Kingston area debuts a new respiratory dashboard.
• Four more local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

The city's pandemic numbers to watch are stable atlevels ranging from low to very highin this week'sOttawa Public Health (OPH) update.

Because of this, OPH saysthe city's health-care institutions are at a high risk from respiratory illnesses,like they would be in December, January and February.

In a report to the city's board of health, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches said OPH expects the upcoming respiratory season to be similar tolast year's, which challenged the health-care system.

Flu and RSV are expected to build in October and peak in December, while COVIDis expected to keep rising into October, she said.

The unit isforecasting "significant impacts of these viruses on younger children and older adults."

Expertsrecommendthat people wear masks, keep their hands clean, gather in well-ventilated and less-crowded spaces,stay home when sick andkeepup to date with COVID and flu vaccinesto help protect themselves andvulnerable people.

Health Canada has approved Moderna's updated COVIDvaccine, which ismore tailored to the virus strains currently circulating, for people six months of age and older.

It's now up toto the provinces and local health authoritiesto lay out the next steps in the rollout. Etches said OPH expects directions from the province this month.

WATCH | A Q&A on the updated vaccine:

Doctor answers your questions about the new COVID-19 vaccine

12 months ago

Duration 4:50

Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Lynora Saxinger answers viewer questions about the newly approved COVID-19 vaccines, their effectiveness against the latest variants and the best time to get another shot.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows that as of Sept. 10,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been stable for about a week afterslowly rising for nearly two months.

OPH considers this to be high.

Hospitals

The average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 in the last week is stable at31, with no patientsin an ICU.Its 16 new patients in the previous weekis low, according to OPH.

There's also aseparate countthatincludespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, wereadmitted for lingering COVIDcomplicationsand were transferred from other health units.

It'sdropped againafter rising quickly for a few weeks and is around where it was six months ago.

Tests, outbreaks,deaths and vaccines

The city's weekly average test positivity rate is about 17 per centand has stayed within that general range for the last month. OPH considered the 20-per-cent average on Sunday, when it set its weekly levels,to be very high.

OPH says there are 27 activeCOVID outbreaks, also ahigh number and stablefromlast week.More than half are incare homes.

The health unit reported 211 more COVID cases in the last weekand twomoreCOVIDdeaths, both people age 80 and above.

The nextOPH vaccinationupdateis expected early next month.

Across the region

Spread

The Kingston area's health unit has a new dashboard that looks at COVID, flu and RSV risk levels. It says its COVID trends are moderate to low and it's not a high-risk time for transmission.

Its average coronavirus wastewater reading considered moderate and stable.Other availablewastewater trends outside Ottawa are low inCornwall and Hawkesburyandstable inSmiths Falls and Brockville.

The average COVID-19 test positivity is a stable seven per cent in Renfrew County, drops to 12per cent in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) and drops to nineper cent in the Kingston area.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Local health authorities are increasingly reporting COVID hospitalizations in different ways.

The Kingston area's health unit says it has a low andstable10 active COVID patients in its hospitals, including anyone living in a different health unit. A spokesperson said in an emailit's not sharing intensive care information anymore because it doesn't have that data for flu and RSV.

Other Eastern Ontario health unitsaroundOttawa Renfrew County, the EOHU and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark countiesreport a stable seven combined residents in hospital forCOVIDtreatment, with nonein intensive care.

Like Ottawa,Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Healthshares a weekly average:sixhospitalizations in itsmost recent update, which is stable. One patient is in intensive care.

Western Quebec has 14 hospital patients with COVID, up from seven last week and in line with where it started summer. None arein intensive care.

Renfrew County's health unit reported its 89th COVID death in its latest update. Quebec reported the 489th COVID death in the Outaouais.

Health authorities across eastern Ontario and western Quebec have now reported more than 2,400 COVID deaths.

• Get the news you need without restrictions. Download ourfree CBC News App.