Ottawa's coronavirus wastewater level as high as peak of 1st Omicron wave

• Ottawa's coronavirus wastewater average continues its fast climb.
• Hospitalization picture is mixed.
• Test positivity isstable, outbreaks rise.
• About 4,000 vaccine doses were given to residents in the last week.
• Three COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the region.

Today's Ottawa update

The average level of coronavirus in Ottawa'swastewaterhas quickly reached the same level as the peak of the first Omicron wave this past January. Only last springdid wastewater experts report a higher level.

Using data up to March 24, wastewater levels weremore than five times higher than two weeks prior. Thursday also had one of the highest daily recordings on record; the eighth-highest to be specific.

These recordsdon't include the first wave.

Ten Ottawa residents are in local hospitals being treated forCOVID-19, according to Monday's OPHupdate, with none in an ICU.

These numbers have been stablethis month.

Hospital numbersdonot includepeople who came to hospital for other reasons and then tested positive for COVID-19. They also don't cover people with lingering COVID-19problems, or patients transferredfrom other health units.

OPH shares those numbers a few times per week. They rose in the last update after several days of stability.

Testing strategies have changedunderthe contagiousOmicron variant, meaning many people with COVID-19aren't reflected inthe case count.

Officials have said they expect numbers to trend up as rules loosen. What iskey is whether the increases become concerning.

On Monday, OPH reported 325 moreCOVID-19 cases over the last three daysand twomore deaths. One victim was in their 80s and the other age 90 or older.

The rolling weekly incidence rate of newly confirmedCOVID-19 cases, expressed per 100,000 residents, isaround 70.

The health unit also reported 21 health-care outbreaks Monday, which has been rising. The province's 2022testing strategy means it doesn't track other types of outbreaks.

The averagepositivity rate for those who received PCR tests outside long-term care homes is stablearound 17per cent. The average positivity in homes is stablearound oneper cent.

Weekly vaccine update

914,500:The number ofOttawa residents age five and upwith at least one dose of theCOVID-19 vaccine, 637 more than in last Monday's weekly update. That's still92per cent of the eligible population.

876,951:The number ofOttawa residents age five and upwith a seconddose, 894 in the last week.Eighty-eight per centof the eligible population has at least two doses.

560,671:The number of Ottawans age 12 and upwith a third dose, 2,511 more in the last week.That'sup to 62per cent of these residents; younger children only qualify for third dosesif they have certain health conditions.

Across the region

Communities outside of Ottawa haveabout 45COVID-19 hospitalizations, while 10 of themrequireintensive care.

Neither of those numbersinclude Hastings Prince EdwardPublic Health, which reported a local hospitalization jump from 10 to 16 over the weekend. That's around where it was in the first week of March.

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark(LGL)counties reported their fifth COVID death of the last week, as well as 17 local COVID hospitalizations, which still leads the region.

Wastewater trends arestableacross LGL. Theyvary across the Kingston areawhere two of the three sitesreport levels nearing the peak of the Omicron wave.