Ottawa's COVID test positivity rises, no new deaths

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's test positivity rises.
• No new deaths in Ottawa.
• EOHU reported one new death.

The latest Ottawa update

Wastewater

The weekly average level of coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater has been slowly rising this month.

That average as of Sept. 11 is about five-and-a-half times higher than at this point in 2021 and about two-and-a-half times what it was two years ago.

Hospitals

Twenty-five Ottawa residents have been admitted to a city hospital with COVID-19, according to OPH's latest update. That's the same number from the last update. 

Three patients are in intensive care.

The hospitalization figures above don't include all patients. For example, they leave out patients admitted for other reasons who then test positive for COVID-19, those admitted for lingering COVID-19 complications, and those transferred from other health units.

The number that includes those kinds of patients dropped from mid-July until the end of August and has slightly risen in September.

Tests, outbreaks and cases

Testing strategies changed under the Omicron variant, meaning many COVID-19 cases aren't reflected in current counts. Public health officials now only track and report outbreaks in health-care settings.

Ottawa's test positivity rate has riset to just over 11 per cent.

There are currently 25 active COVID outbreaks in Ottawa, up from 22 at the last update.

OPH reported 236 more cases and no new deaths. 

Vaccines

As of the most recent weekly update, 93 per cent of Ottawa residents age five and up had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 90 per cent had at least two and 60 per cent at least three.

Twenty-two per cent of Ottawans age 12 and over had at least four. Children 12 to 17 are only eligible if they're significantly immunocompromised.

About 7,200 residents under age five have had a first dose, which is about 16 per cent of Ottawa's population of that age. That's about 200 more doses over six days.

Across the region

Spread

As of the most recent update, wastewater levels are stable or dropping in the Kingston area. They're stable in Smiths Falls and have dropped in Brockville and Kemptville.

Data from other areas is out of date or unavailable.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit's COVID test positivity rose from about nine per cent last Friday to about 16 per cent Tuesday and is now at 15.5 per cent.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Western Quebec's health authority, CISSSO, is reporting 87 COVID hospitalizations in its weekly update. Three of those patients are in intensive care. CISSSO also reported two more COVID deaths, bringing its total to 346.

Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa are reporting about 35 COVID hospitalizations. Four of those patients are in intensive care.

That count doesn't include Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, which has a different counting method.

HPE is reporting 31 hospitalizations with two patients in intensive care.

Vaccines

Across eastern Ontario, between 81 and 92 per cent of residents age five and up have received at least two vaccine doses and between 52 and 64 per cent of those residents have had at least three.