COVID-19 trends remain stable or dropping in Ottawa

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 trends remainstable or dropping.
• Five more people in the region have died with COVID-19.

The latest

For the third straight week, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) saysthatrecentdownward respiratory virus trends are encouragingbutit'sstill worthwhile to reduce risks asCOVID-19 levels overall remainhigh.

Expertsstrongly recommendpeople wear masks indoorsand, in Ontario, in the daysafter having COVID symptoms. Staying home when sickandbeing up-to-date with COVID and flu vaccinesalsohelp protect vulnerable people.

A broader look at respiratory illnesses comes on Wednesdays. Overall, respiratory virus activity appeared to bedropping and non-COVID virus levels were generally seen as being low.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows that as of Feb. 3,the weekly average level of coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater remained stable after dropping to its lowest level since mid-December.

Despite that drop, OPH still considers the levelto be very high.

Hospitals

OPH's count of active, local COVID-19 hospital patients dropped slightly from 30 to27, according to Friday's update, with no patients in intensive care.

There is another count that includesotherpatients, such as peopleadmitted for other reasons who then test positive for COVID, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplications, and thosetransferred from other health units.

That count generally remained stable in January, hoveringin the 80s and 90s,but the first public health update of February showed a slight decline to 77.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawa's COVID-19 test positivity rate has droppedto around 11per cent, which OPH says is moderate. Testing strategieschangedat the end of 2021andmanycasesaren't reflected incounts.

There are 16active COVID outbreaks in Ottawa, according toOPH. That numberhadbeen slowly dropping in January, and the latest numbers show the trend is continuing.

OPH has reported 219 more COVID cases since Tuesday and four deaths of people withCOVID.In all,1,012 Ottawa residents who've died since the start of the pandemic had COVID as a contributing or underlying factor.

Vaccines

Thirty-twoper cent of Ottawans age 12 and older have had their most recentdose within the last six months, as is generally recommended,with older age groups having higher rates.

This does not factor inimmunity from getting COVID.

As of the most recent weekly update, 85per cent of Ottawa residents had at least one COVIDvaccine dose, 82per cent had at least two, 56per cent at least three and 31 per cent at least four.

Across the region

Spread

The coronavirus wastewater averages are split between stability and risinginKingstonand starting to decline across Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) counties.

The averages are droppingin Casselman and Hawkesburyand rising inCornwall. Datafor other areas outside Ottawa isout of date or unavailable.

The EOHU's COVID risk level is considered low.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa reportabout30COVID-19 hospitalizations, with three patients in intensive care.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit recorded one more death related to COVID-19.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,which has a different counting method. Its local hospitalization count is low and stable.

Western Quebec's health authority,CISSSO, reported114COVIDhospitalizations last week. None of the patients were in intensive care. The agency hasn't updated its numbers since Jan. 26.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says that 32 per cent of its population age five and up have had a booster vaccine in the last six months. That number is 27 per cent in HPE and unavailable elsewhere.

Across eastern Ontario, between 82 and93 per cent of residents age five and up have received at least two COVID-19 vaccine doses, and between 54 and66 per cent of those residentshave hadat leastthree.