Respiratory risk remains high as October ends

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbersare mostly stable.
• Its individual trends range from moderateto very high.
• Seven more local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

The city's COVID-19 numbers to watch are mostlystable at levels ranging from moderate to very highin this week'sOttawa Public Health (OPH) updates.

Ithas a generallymoderate amount of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity and a generallylow level of flu, though its flu wastewater reading is seen as high.

OPHsaysthe city's health-care institutions remainat a high risk from respiratory illnesses, as they havebeen since September.

Expertsrecommendthat people cover coughs and sneezes,wear masks, keep their hands and often-touched surfaces clean, stay home when sick andkeepup to date with COVID and flu vaccinesto help protect themselves andvulnerable people.

• Elderly Canadians remain at higher riskfrom 1st COVID infection, study suggests

Both COVIDand flu vaccines are nowavailable for the general public in Ontario.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows that as of Oct. 26,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been generally stable for about five weeks, with a recent rise that's settled back down.

OPHconsiders this tobe high, down from very high last week.

Hospitals

The average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 in the last week is stable at 45, with no patientsin an ICU.

Aseparate count thatincludespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, wereadmitted for lingering COVIDcomplicationsand were transferred from other health unitsis stable.

The40 new patients from the previous week is still labelled as moderate, according to OPH.

Tests, outbreaks,deaths and vaccines

The city's weekly average test positivity rate is about 17 per cent, which is stable. OPH says this ishigh.

OPH says there are 35 activeCOVID outbreaks, up from 23 last week.Most outbreaks are in either retirement homes or hospitals,and there are a very highamount of new outbreaks.

The health unit reported 217 more COVID cases in the last weekand twomoreCOVIDdeaths,both people age 90 orabove.

OPH's next monthly COVID vaccinationupdateis expected next week.

Across the region

Spread

The Kingston area's health unitsays its COVID trends are stable atmoderate to very highlevels and it'sin ahigh-risk time for transmission. Fluindicatorsarelow and RSV trends are either low or moderate.

Its average coronavirus wastewater reading is considered high and stable. Other availablewastewater trends outside Ottawa arestable inSmiths Falls,Brockville,HawkesburyandCornwall.

The average COVID-19 test positivity ratedrops from 27 to17 per cent inthe Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) andis a stable 14 per cent inthe Kingston area.

Hospitalizations and deaths

The Kingston area's health unit says it has a very high26 active COVID-19 patients in its hospitals, including anyone living in a different health unit. The province has reported that area's 126th overall COVID death.

The number of hospitalizations in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) counties drops to three and the EOHU's drop to seven.

Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, like Ottawa, gives a weekly hospitalization average. It rises from five to 13.

Western Quebec has a stable 74 hospital patients with COVID.

Three more EOHUresidents with COVID have died for a total of 318. LGL reports their 169th total death, the 26th this year.