As snow falls, COVID situation stands firm

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbersare mostly stable.
• Its individual trends range from moderateto very high.
• RSV activity is generally moderate, while flu activity is mostly low.
• Ninemore local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

The city's COVID-19 numbers to watch are againmostlystable 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.Some of the individual trends are categorized ashigh, namely the flu signal in the city's wastewater and the 11RSV hospitalizations in the past week.

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.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows, as of Nov. 5,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been generally stable for about six weeks at a level OPH currently considers very high.

Hospitals

The average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 in the last week is stable at 49, 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 up slightly.

There were31 new patients from the previous week, which OPH labelsas moderate.

Tests, outbreaks,deaths and vaccines

The city's weekly average test positivity rate is about 16 per cent, which is stable. OPH says this ishigh.

OPH also says there are a stable31 activeCOVID outbreaks.Most outbreaks are in either retirement homes or hospitals,and there are ahighamount of new outbreaks.

The health unit reported 211 more COVID cases in the last weekand fivemoreCOVIDdeaths.One victim wasin their 60s, two in their 70s and two age 90 or above.

OPH'smonthly COVID vaccinationupdatesays it administered about 46,000 doses from Oct. 3 to 30, the day Ontario's eligibility widened. The 20,764 doses the week of Oct. 22-28 are its most in nearly a year.

As of Oct. 30, nine per cent of Ottawa residents age five and uphad a COVID booster in the last six months, up from six per cent at the start of the month. This doesn't account for immunity through infection.

Across the region

Spread and vaccination

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. InHawkesburyandCornwall, it's stable.

The average COVID-19 test positivity ratedrops to 13 per centinthe Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) andsits at a stable 15 per cent inthe Kingston area.

Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Healthsays 10 per cent of its residents have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months.

Hospitalizations and deaths

The Kingston area's health unit says it has 30 active COVID-19 patients in its hospitals, including anyone living in a different health unit. That is categorized as very high.

The number of hospitalizations in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) counties drops to twoand in the EOHU, thereare eight, which isstable.

HPE, like Ottawa, gives a weekly hospitalization average. It rises again from 13 to 25 its highest level in a yearwith three intensive care patients.

Western Quebec has 84 hospital patients with COVID, which is categorized as stable. The province reported three more COVID deaths there for a total of 506 since the pandemic began in early 2020.

The EOHU reports its 319th total COVID death, which is its 41st of 2023.