Key COVID-19 numbers in the Ottawa area today

• Ottawa's coronavirus wastewater average drops for the first time this month.
• Its hospitalizations and number of outbreaks rise.

Today's Ottawa update

Wastewater

Theaverage level of coronavirus detected in Ottawa'swastewaterdropped for the first time since March 20with the most recent data from Tuesday (the bold red line in the graph below). It has risen 27 of the last 30 days.

The averageisabout 33 per cent higher than the previous record in April 2021 and roughly 13 times higher than in early March 2022 before this spike.

Those records don't reflect the first wave of the pandemicwhen wastewater was not monitored for traces of the virus.

Wastewater is a keyindicatorof whatOttawa Public Health (OPH)calls a significant COVID-19 wavein the city. Health officialshighly recommend people take steps to protect themselves and others.

WATCH |Holiday advicefrom Ottawa Public Health:

Vera Etches encourages smaller Easter gatherings, maybe even outside

3 years ago

Duration 0:52

With the record-high amount of COVID in Ottawa's wastewater, Dr. Vera Etches urges residents to limit gatherings for a third straight Easter.

Hospitals

Eighteen Ottawa residents are in local hospitals for treatment of active COVID-19according to Thursday's OPHupdate. That number rises back to about what it was last week after dropping for four days.

Two of the patients arein intensive care.

Hospitalization figures don't includepatients admitted for other reasons whothen tested positive for COVID-19. Nor do they include those admitted for lingering COVID-19complications, nor patients transferredfrom other health units.

That number hasstabilized.

Cases and outbreaks

Testing strategies have changedunderthe contagiousOmicron variant, which means many newCOVID-19 casesaren't reflected in current counts. Public health only tracks and reports outbreaks that occur in health-care settings.

On Thursday, OPH reported 287 moreCOVID-19 cases and no more deaths.

The health unit also reported an increaseto 48health-care outbreaks, which had been at 29one week ago. There are 14 outbreaks each in group homes and retirement homes.

The rolling weekly incidence rate of newly confirmedCOVID-19 cases, expressed per 100,000 residents, is around 120.

Tests and vaccines

At 18 per cent, the averagepositivity rate for those who received PCR tests outside long-term care homes is high and stable. The averagein these homes is around eight per cent. This isn't updated on Thursdays.

As of Monday's weekly update, 92 per cent of eligible Ottawa residents have at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, 89per cent have at least two, and 62per cent of residents age 12 and up have at least three.

About 17,700 fourth vaccine doses hadbeen given in Ottawa, not necessarily to residents.

Across the region

OntarioandQuebecare in the midst of another pandemic wave.

Eastern Ontario hasthe highest regional wastewater average, according tothe province's science table.

Wastewaterdata from the Kingston areaincludes stable, high levels in the city and anotherrecord high to its west.The wastewater signal is stable across Leeds, Grenville and Lanark(LGL) counties.

Western Quebec's 55local COVID hospitalizations by far lead the region. Three patients needintensive care.

Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa are reporting about 45COVID-19 hospitalizations. About 10of them are in intensive care.

Neither of those numbersincludes Hastings Prince Edward Public Health, which has a different counting method.

Renfrew County's weekly update has a slight rise to 15 hospitalizations, with three of these patients in intensive care. Its three COVID outbreaks are stable.

Health expertssay hospitalizations may not get as high this wave because of immunity, both fromvaccines and previousinfection, and antiviral treatments. Vulnerable people, includingchildren, are still at higher risk of serious health problems.

Dr. Paul Roumeliotis of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit said while its number of outbreaks has beenrising, most cases have either mild or nosymptoms. He credits fourth vaccine doses.