COVID levels mostly moderate for first time in months

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers drop to moderate levels.
• Flu signals are still high.
• RSV trends are stable and low to moderate.
• Seventeenmore COVID deaths have been reported locally.

The latest

The COVID-19 picture has improved across major categories,according to the latest data from Ottawa Public Health (OPH), with most key numbers moderate for the first time since August.

RSV trends are low to moderate and stable or dropping.

Flu levels in wastewater and flu-relatedhospitalizations remain high. Hospitalizations are the only indicator that rose, according to the update.

Expertsrecommendpeople cover coughs,wear masks, keephands and often-touched surfaces clean, stay home when sick andkeepup with COVID and flu vaccinesto help protect themselves andother vulnerable people.

OPHsaysthe city's health-care institutions remainat high risk from respiratory illnesses, as they havebeensince the end of August. This is expected to be the caseuntil at least March.

In Ottawa

Spread

Ottawa's recentcoronavirus wastewater average, as of Jan. 29, had been falling for nearly three weeks from a mid-month peak.

It hadbeen generallyrising for more than six months.

OPH says the wastewater signal drops tohigh.

The weekly average test positivity rate in the city lowersto 13per cent, which OPH now considersmoderate.

Hospitalizations, outbreaks anddeaths

The average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 has droppedto 33 over the last week, the fewest since October.

Aseparatewider count,which includespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, wereadmitted for lingering COVIDcomplications or were transferred from other health units,has edged downward.

OPH considers the number of new COVID-related hospitalizations in the city30 as moderate, also down from high.

Theactive COVID outbreak count is stable at 26,mostly in long-term care or retirement homes. There is amoderatenumber of new outbreaks.

The health unit reported 177more COVID cases and fourmoreCOVIDdeaths in the last week. All victims were peopleage 80 or above.

OPH's next vaccination updateis now expected next week.

After nearly four years, OPH said it is also ending its COVID-specific dashboardat some point this month. Much of the information is now reflectedin OPH's respiratory updates. OPH said COVID open data will continue tobe updated.

Across the region

The Kingston area's health unitsays it's alsoin the midst of a high-risk time for respiratory illness. Its COVID-19, flu and RSV pictures are all stable:COVID and flu are at higher levels andRSVis looking lower.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'s big-picture assessmentrates the overall respiratory risk as moderate and stable.

Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, like Ottawa,gives a weekly COVIDcase hospital average. That has fallen again to nine. Flu activity there is seen as low.

Renfrew County'strends are generally dropping.

Western Quebecdrops to46hospital patients who have tested positive forCOVID. The province reports three more COVID deaths there.

The health unit for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL)counties reported four more COVID deaths there, while the Kingston area's count rose by three, and HPE's by one.

Renfrew County's health unit reported two more deaths,bringing its total above 100. The entire region has passed2,700 of these deaths.

LGL datagoes up to Jan.21, when its trends were generally high anddropping.