April showers bring a stable COVID-19 picture for Ottawa

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are mostly stable.
• Fourmore local people with COVID have died.

The latest

Ottawa's pandemic trends are mostly stable as some indicators remain at high levels, while others are low.

Generally, COVID indicators have remained stable or have droppedfor more thanthree months. Increases have not risen tolevels Ottawa Public Health (OPH) sees as concerning.

Expertsrecommendpeople wear masks indoorsand, in Ontario, in the daysafter having COVID symptoms. Staying home when sickandstaying up to date with COVIDvaccinescan alsohelp protect vulnerable people.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows, as of the most recent update April 23,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been stable for about 10 days.

OPHconsiders this level to behigh, which is actually down from "very high" last week.

This average has generally stayed within the same range for a year.

Hospitals

The number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 hasbeen generally stable for about two months. The number was 15 in Tuesday's update, including two patients in ICU.

A separate countthat includespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplications, and thosetransferred from other health units is stable.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawahasnineactive COVID outbreaks, a number that is slowly dropping. According to OPH, that numberis considered low it was "high"last week.

After a slight drop to end winter, the city'sCOVID-19 test positivity ratehas risen to around 11 per cent. OPH considers thatmoderate.

OPHreported 51more COVID cases since last Friday and no more COVID deaths.

Vaccines

Nineteen per cent of Ottawans age five and older have had a COVID-19 vaccine dose within the last six months,with older age groups having higher vaccination rates. Thisdoes not factor inimmunity from getting COVID.

Ontario's vaccine recommendations changed earlier this monthto focus onhigher-risk people.

As of the most recent weekly update, 85per cent of Ottawa residents had at least one COVIDvaccine dose, 82per cent had at least two, 56per cent at least three and 31 per cent at least four.

Across the region

Spread

TheEastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'sCOVID-19 risk levelislow.

Coronavirus wastewater averages are low and stable in Kingstonand stable inBrockville and Smiths Falls.They'reotherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

The average COVID test percentage drops to about six per cent in the Kingston area, which is near the lowest mark in that region since 2021.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa report about 25COVID-19 hospitalizations, withfourpatients in intensive care.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,whichshares a weekly average of itslocal hospitalization count. That region is down to two patients.

Western Quebec has 39 hospital patients with COVID. None of them arein intensive care. The province reports three more COVID deaths there for a total of 475.

The health unit for Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties reported its 17th COVID death of the year, which is its160th overall.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 16per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months. That number drops to 18 per cent in HPE, and it remains unavailable elsewhere.

Across eastern Ontario, between 79 and90 per cent of residents age five and up have received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses, and between 52 and65 per cent of those residentshave hadat leastthree, according to the province.