COVID's rise levels out a bit

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 trends are stable or rising.
• Its public health unit says levels are either moderate or high.
• Nine more local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

The city's pandemic numbers to watch are stable or rising in the weekly Ottawa Public Health (OPH) update amid concerns over a new wave and COVID-19 mutations.

Those levels range from moderate to high, according to OPH. They're generally back around levels last seen in spring 2023 after being lower for most of the summer.

Experts recommend that when people feel sick, they stay home and wear a mask if they have to go out in public. There's more discussion about wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings, or avoiding them.

Staying up to date with COVID vaccines can also help protect vulnerable people. Updated booster doses are expected in early autumn.

Wastewater

Data from the research team shows, as of Aug. 27, the average coronavirus wastewater level has been slowly rising for more than six weeks, breaking out of the range where it had stayed since the end of April.

OPH considers this to be moderate, like last week.

Hospitals

The average number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals for COVID-19 in the last week is 28, with one patient in an ICU. That's more stable after a quick rise in the middle of this month.

OPH switched to a weekly hospitalization average at the start of July.

A separate count includes patients who tested positive for COVID after being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVID complications and those transferred from other health units.

It has risen back to where it was in January 2023. At the end of July there were six of these patients.

Tests, outbreaks, deaths and vaccines

The city's weekly average test positivity rate is about 15 per cent, stabilizing for about a week after a major rise. OPH considers this high, down from very high in its last assessment.

OPH says its 22 active COVID outbreaks are still a high number. That's up from last week, but a slower rise than the week before that. About half of them are in hospitals.

The health unit reported 177 more COVID cases in the last week and five more COVID deaths, all people age 70 and above. That brings the city's number ot COVID deaths this year to 101.

The next Ottawa COVID vaccination update is expected in early September.

Across the region

Spread

Coronavirus wastewater averages are mixed between the two sites in Kingston and rising, but a week old in Cornwall and Hawkesbury.

There's no update this week for Brockville and Smiths Falls. This data is otherwise not available.

The average COVID-19 test positivity rises to about 19 per cent in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), which is where it started the month. It's stable at 14 per cent in the Kingston area and at six per cent in Renfrew County.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa report a stable eight COVID-19 hospitalizations, with none of these patients in intensive care.

That regional count doesn't include Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, which also shares a weekly average. That number rose from six to nine in the most recent update, its highest average since April.

Western Quebec has a stable five hospital patients with COVID, with none in intensive care. The province reported the region's 488th total COVID death in its weekly update.

Two more COVID deaths were reported in the Kingston area, meaning there have been 19 this year and 121 total. The EOHU reported its 31st COVID death of 2023 Tuesday, which is its 309th overall.

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