Key COVID-19 numbers in the Ottawa area today

• Ottawa COVID hospitalizationsrise to levels last seen in June.
• More than 16,000 third vaccine doses were given to Ottawans Tuesday.
• The Outaouais records its most COVID-19 hospitalizations since May.
• Renfrew County reports its fourth COVID-19 death in a week.

Today's Ottawa update

There are currently 32 Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 treatment, according to Ottawa Public Health (OPH), six more than in Tuesday's update and the most since early June 2021.

Fourpeoplewith COVID-19 remainin anICU.Those patients range in age from their 30s to 80s.

Those numbers do not include people who came to the hospital for other reasons who then test positive for COVID-19.

The case count has surged to record levels in many placesthis winter and as the Omicron variant's spread overwhelms and limits testing, the actual number of cases in Ottawacould be three to 10 timeshigher, saidMedical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches Tuesday.

On Wednesday, OPHis reporting 515 more confirmed COVID-19 cases and no more deaths.

Of the people who are getting tested, more than 35 per cent are positive. That number has been generally rising since the end of November.

The rolling seven-day averageof new confirmedCOVID-19 cases expressed per 100,000 residents is above 600despite those testing limits.

Vaccines

895,588:The number ofOttawa residents born in 2016 or earlierwith at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. That's 90 per cent of the eligible population.

824,575:The number ofOttawa residents born in 2016 or earlier with at least two doses, 83per cent of the eligible population.

347,671:The number of Ottawa residents with a third dose. That's35per cent of residents age five and up though eligibility is very limited for children under 18.

48,852:The number of children in Ottawa age five and upwho have received their first dose of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine, 62 per cent ofthat age group. About 3,300 have two doses.

Across the region

The wider region has more than 150COVID-19 hospitalizations as of2 p.m.ET and more than 23,000known active cases even with testing limits.

Quebec reports 45COVID-19 patients in hospital, many morethan the 30 on Tuesday and back to levels last seen in May.

Renfrew County reported its fourth COVID-19 death over the past week after reporting just 11 throughout the rest of the pandemic.

The Kingston area has18 COVID hospitalizations and 10 ICU patients. Those numbers have beenstable for more than a week after coming down from local record levels. Its wastewater levelswere high as of its last update Dec. 30.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit is up to 17 hospitalizations and three ICU patients.

Hastings Prince Edward reported fewer COVID-19 patients in local hospitals, 16, includingthree in intensive care, similar to where they were one week ago.

The 14 COVID-19 hospitalizations and five ICU patients in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties are the most in CBC's records, which go back tothe summer of 2020.