Ottawa surpasses 6,000 COVID-19 cases, OPH reports 2 deaths

The number of confirmed COVID-19 casesin Ottawa since the start of the pandemic has surpassed 6,000, with public health officials also reporting two more deaths Sunday.

The death toll in the nation's capital now stands at 303.

According to Ottawa Public Health (OPH), there were 67 cases confirmedSunday, mostly in people over the age of 30. Seventeen of the new cases involve people in their 50s.

There are also five more active cases in Ottawa compared to Saturday, bringing that number up to 790, but also 26 fewer active cases than the same time last week.

In total, 47 people are hospitalized with the virus, with seven in intensive care. There are also 74 ongoing outbreaks at city institutionssuch as long-term care facilities and child-care centres.

The reports from OPH don't necessarily reflect how many people tested positive for COVID-19 on the day they're made public; rather, they indicate the number of new cases OPH is notified of as of 2 p.m. the previous day.

Ontario reports 658 cases

Ontario recorded 658 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with nearly two-thirds reported in Toronto and its surrounding regions.

Sunday's update marks the first time the provincial case count has dipped below 700 since Oct. 11.

The province's official COVID-19 death toll, meanwhile, grew by five and now sits at 3,046.

In western Quebec, health officials have reported one new death and confirmed 16 new cases since Saturday.

The region has had 2,024 cases of COVID-19 and 35 deaths since the pandemic began.