Rising COVID-19 numbers reported in Ottawa, eastern Ontario

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbersare mostly rising.
• Individual trends are nowhigh orvery high.
• RSV activity is generally high, while flu numbers are mixed.
• COVID signals are high and risingin the EOHU.
• Thirteen more local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

After a few broadly stable respiratory updates in Ottawa, this week sings a different tune particularly at local hospitals.

The city's COVID-19 numbers to watch aremostlyrising at levels categorized as either high or very highin this week'sOttawa Public Health (OPH) updates.

The latest numbers show a high amount of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity including 22 new hospitalizations while flu trendsare mixedbetween low and very high.

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.

• Quebec adjustsCOVID vaccination recommendations
• Ontario requires masksfor long-term care home staff

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

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows, as of Nov. 9,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been rising for about 10 days and recently reached one of the highest levels of the year.OPH considers this very high.

Hospitals

In the past week, the average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19has risen to 71, with one patientin an ICU.

It is the highest number of hospitalizations since OPH switched to the weekly average in early summer. The agency previously shared a snapshot of this count, rather than an average, and that countwas last in the 70s in February 2022.

Aseparate count which includespatientswho either testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, wereadmitted for lingering COVIDcomplications or were transferred from other health unitshas also risen.

There were54new patients from the previous week, which OPH sees as an increase in its scale from moderate tohigh.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

The city's weekly average test positivity rate is about 19 per cent,which has remained stable. OPH categorizes this as high.

OPH also says there's been an increase to 37activeCOVID outbreaks.Most outbreaks are in either retirement homes or hospitals,and there are a very highamount of new outbreaks.

The health unit reported 207 more COVID cases in the last weekand threemoreCOVIDdeaths.One victim wasin their 60s, one in their 70s and one age 90 or above.

OPH'snext COVID vaccinationupdateis expected in early December.

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, which are increasing,range from low to high.

The area's average coronavirus wastewater reading is considered very high and rising, while itsaverage COVID-19 test positivity rate is a high, stable 15 per cent.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) says it's in a high-risk time for COVID, with high wastewater readings and a high, rising test positivity of23 per cent.

Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Healthsays 12 per cent of its residents have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months, up from 10 per cent last week.

Hospitalizations and deaths

The Kingston area's health unit says it has 22 active COVID-19 patients in its hospitals, including anyone living in a different health unit. That is categorized ashigh, but the number has dropped.

The EOHUsees a rise to 25 COVID hospitalizations, a threefold increase from its report one week ago. It considers this to be high.

HPE, like Ottawa, gives a weekly hospitalization average. It dips a little bit to 21,with fourpatients receiving intensive care.

Western Quebec has 85 hospital patients with COVID, which isstable. The province reported eight more COVID deaths there in the last week for a total of 516 since the pandemic began in early 2020.

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) countiesreported two more COVID deaths.

LGL'sdata goes up to Nov. 5, while the most recent data for Renfrew County is as of Nov. 4.