Ottawa has a concerning resurgence of COVID-19, public health says

Ottawa Public Health (OPH)saysit is concerned by the resurgence of COVID-19 in the city and has informed Ontario's chief medical officer of health.

Ottawa Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches saidin a statement WednesdayOPH is directly reaching out to people over age 50 who are eligible for another vaccine dose to help them gain better protection against symptoms and hospitalization.

OPH data shows there are about 60,000 people in this age range with two doses, but not three. For age groups under 50, fewer than two-thirds of residents have a third dose.

The average level of coronavirus in Ottawa'swastewaterhas risen exponentially in the last two to three weeks. Levels have only been higher duringwaves in spring 2021and early winter 2022, though records aren't available for the first wave.

• Key COVID-19 numbers in the Ottawa area Wednesday

Sunday had the third-highest daily wastewater signal on record. Monday and Tuesday's measurements were slightly lower, giving some indication of a potential peak.

Etches also pointed to the high test positivity average for eligible people outside of long-term care homes, which was around 17 per cent.

She recommendspeople stay home when sick andwear masks indoors, especially in crowded spaces. Mask mandates were lifted March 21 in Ontario, while both capacity limits and the province's vaccine system were scrapped three weeks earlier.

"Rather than going a little slowly, we kind of all of the sudden had a lot more opportunities for COVID transmission," Etches told CBC News in an interview Wednesday afternoon.

"And so we're seeing the [infection rate] rise faster."

The head of Ontario'sCOVID-19 science advisory table has issueda similar message, urging people to voluntarily wear masks as the province's hospitalization count once again starts to climb.

• Health experts warn Ontarians to keep masks on as COVID-19 hospitalizations mount
• Masks, vaccines and ventilation among 'common-sense' moves to make

OPH officials had previously said a rise in COVID spread was expected as rules around gatherings and masks eased, and noted the key was whether the risebecame concerning enough to talk to the province about rule changes.

The pace of the current resurgence is occurring "more rapidly than the science table had projected," Etches told CBC.

Hospitalizations in Ottawa remain stable, Etches said,while outbreaks appeared stable this week but had recently risen. Still, those often follow surges incase numbers and could still go upin the days and weeks to come, she added.

Etches said one majordifference between the current resurgence and the Omicron-driven wave inDecember and January is that many more people are now boosted.

Ontario plans to lift all pandemic rules in four weeks.