COVID's rise levels out a bit

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 trendsarestable or rising.
• Its public health unit says levels are either moderate or high.
• Ninemore local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

The city's pandemic numbers to watch are stable or risingin the weekly Ottawa Public Health (OPH) update amid concerns over a new wave and COVID-19mutations.

Those levels range from moderate tohigh, according to OPH. They're generally back around levels last seen in spring 2023after being lower for most of the summer.

Expertsrecommendthat whenpeople feel sick, they stay home and weara mask if they have to go out in public. There's more discussion about wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings, or avoiding them.

Staying up to date with COVIDvaccinescan alsohelp protect vulnerable people. Updated booster doses are expected in early autumn.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows, as of Aug. 27,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been slowly rising for more thansix weeks, breaking out of the range where it had stayed since the end of April.

OPH considers this to be moderate, like last week.

Hospitals

The average number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 in the last week is 28, with onepatientin an ICU. That's more stable after a quick rise in the middle of this month.

OPH switched to a weekly hospitalization average at the start of July.

A separate countincludespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplicationsand thosetransferred from other health units.

It has risen back to where it was in January 2023. At the end of July there were six of these patients.

Tests, outbreaks,deaths and vaccines

The city's weekly average test positivity rate is about 15 per cent, stabilizingfor about a week after a major rise. OPHconsiders thishigh, down from very high in its last assessment.

OPH says its 22 active COVID outbreaks are still a high number. That'sup fromlast week, but a slower rise than the week before that. About half of them are in hospitals.

The health unit reported 177 more COVID cases in the last weekand five moreCOVIDdeaths, all people age 70 and above. That brings the city's number ot COVID deaths this year to 101.

The nextOttawa COVID vaccination updateis expected in early September.

Across the region

Spread

Coronavirus wastewater averages are mixed between the two sitesin Kingstonand rising, buta week old inCornwall and Hawkesbury.

There's no update this week forBrockville and Smiths Falls. This data isotherwise not available.

The average COVID-19 test positivity rises to about 19 per cent in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU), which is where it started the month.It's stable at 14 per cent in the Kingston area and at six per cent in Renfrew County.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa report a stable eightCOVID-19 hospitalizations, with none of these patients in intensive care.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,which also shares a weekly average. That numberrose from six to ninein the most recent update, its highest average since April.

Western Quebec has a stable fivehospital patients with COVID, with nonein intensive care. The province reported the region's 488th total COVID death in its weekly update.

Two more COVID deaths were reported in the Kingston area, meaning there have been 19 this year and 121 total. The EOHU reported its 31st COVID death of 2023 Tuesday, which is its 309th overall.

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