- Pandemic trends in Ottawa are stable or declining.
- Two COVID-19 deaths have been reported in the region.
Today’s update in Ottawa
Wastewater
The average level of coronavirus in Ottawa’s wastewater has been slowly declining for about three weeks after the peak of the sixth wave pandemic in April.
The latest data from May 4 (the thick red line in the chart below) shows that the level is still about six and a half times higher than it was in early March before the current jump.
Researchers measuring and sharing the amount of the new coronavirus in Ottawa’s wastewater reported new pandemic records for daily readings and weekly averages in April 2022. The latest figures are from May 4. (613covid.ca)
These records do not reflect the first wave of the pandemic, when wastewater was not observed for traces of the virus.
Hospitals
In the Ottawa Public Health Update (OPH) on Monday, there were 26 Ottawa residents in local hospitals treating active COVID-19. Five of these patients are in intensive care. Both numbers are stable.
The hospitalization figures above do not include all patients. For example, they omit patients admitted for other reasons who then test positive for COVID-19, those admitted for long-term complications of COVID-19, and those transferred from other health care units.
When you include patients like these, the number is 106 on Saturday. This is a slight increase after nearly two weeks of decline. Some hospitals are again having staff problems.
Public Health in Ottawa has a number of hospitals for COVID-19, which shows all hospital patients who have tested positive for COVID, including those admitted for other reasons, and who live in other areas. It was 106 on May 7. (Public Health of Ottawa)
Tests, outbreaks and cases
Testing strategies have changed with the infectious version of Omicron, which means that many new cases of COVID-19 are not reflected in the current issue. Public health monitors and reports only outbreaks that occur in health facilities.
The city’s 63 outbreaks are stable. The 27 outbreaks of nursing homes are the largest among health facilities.
On Monday, OPH reported another 121 cases and another death in three days.
The variable weekly incidence of newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population drops to around 75.
By 15 percent, the Ottawa average pass rate for those who received PCR tests outside of long-term care homes is declining very slowly. The average inside homes is stable at about 10 percent. The last update was on Friday.
Vaccines
916,051: Ottawa residents aged five and over with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 134 more than in last week’s weekly update. This is still 92 percent of the eligible population.
880,294: The number of Ottawa residents aged five and over with a second dose, 228 since the last update. This is still 89 percent of the eligible population.
573 758: Number of Ottawa residents aged 12 and over with a third dose, 1149 since the last update. This is still 63% of these residents; younger children meet the requirements only with certain health conditions.
Seven percent of residents aged 12 and over receive a fourth dose, or about 61,400 people. That’s a little over 10,000 doses since the last update.
Throughout the region
Wastewater
Ontario and Quebec continue to be in the sixth pandemic wave. There are signs of improvement in both provinces.
Wastewater levels in the Kingston area and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties (LGL) are stable. Data from eastern Ottawa is more than a week old, and other areas have no public data.
Eastern Ontario has one of the highest regional averages for the province’s wastewater, according to a scientific table. It is falling and is around the average for the neighboring Peterborough and Muskoka districts.
The Ontario COVID-19 scientific chart shows coronavirus wastewater data from 103 sites across the province. This is the average level for sites in eastern Ontario; the dot at the end of the row represents the best estimate of where the average tends. (Scientific Advisory Table for COVID-19 in Ontario)
Hospitalizations
West Quebec had 71 local hospitalizations with COVID-19 on Friday, including patients who are no longer considered active cases. Five of these patients need intensive care.
Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa have reported 40 hospitalizations with COVID-19, including about 10 in intensive care. Both numbers are stable, and neither includes Prince Edward Hastings’ (HPE) Public Health, which, like western Quebec, has a different counting method.
LGL reported seven stable COVID patients on Monday, as well as its 101st death from COVID.
Vaccines
More than 5.3 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been given to people in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
Quebec estimates that about 78% of Outaouais residents are “adequately vaccinated,” a combination of vaccination and a recent infection.
For each health unit in eastern Ontario, there are anywhere from 81 to 92 percent of the population with at least two doses of vaccine and everywhere from 59 to 71 percent of adults with three doses.
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