Low COVID-19 figures resemble end of the mask mandate era

Recent developments:

• Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are low and stable, or dropping.
• Four more local COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

Ottawa's pandemic trends are generally lowandstable, and some are dropping, according to Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

The city's average wastewater coronavirus reading and hospitalization count are around where they wereMarch 10, 2022when Ontario still had widespread mask mandates and just after it lifted many gathering limits.

The average COVID test positivity and number of outbreaks in Ottawa arelower this week than they were at that time.

OPHhas not indicated any concerning trend recently, which is similar to the wider region outside of Ottawa.

Expertsrecommendpeople wear masks indoors. Staying up to date with COVIDvaccinescan alsohelp protect vulnerable people. Other guidance can vary between Ontario and Quebec.

Wastewater

Data from the research teamshows, as of the most recent update May 9,the average coronavirus wastewater levelhas been low and slowly dropping this month.

This averagegenerally stayed within the same range for a year, so thisis an outlier.

Hospitals

The number of Ottawa residentsin local hospitals for COVID-19 hasbeen slowly dropping. The number was 10 in Friday's update, with no patients in ICU.

A separate countthat includespatientswho testedpositive for COVIDafter being admitted for other reasons, those admitted for lingering COVIDcomplications, and thosetransferred from other health units is stable.

Tests, outbreaks and deaths

Ottawahas a stable five active COVID outbreaks and an average test positivity rate around eight per cent.According to OPH, both numbers are considered low.

OPHreported24 more COVID cases since Tuesday and the death of someone age 90 or abovewho had COVID.

Vaccines

Fifteen per cent of Ottawans age five and older have had a COVID-19 vaccine dose within the last six months,with older age groups having higher vaccination rates. Thisdoes not factor inimmunity from getting COVID.

Ontario's vaccine recommendations changed in early Aprilto focus onhigher-risk people.

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

TheEastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU)'sCOVID-19 risk levelremains lowbased on trends such as wastewater and test positivity.

Coronavirus wastewater averages are low and stable inKingston.They'reotherwise out of date or unavailable outside of Ottawa.

Hospitalizations and deaths

Eastern Ontario communities outsideOttawa report about 15COVID-19 hospitalizations, with just onepatientin intensive care in the Kingston area.

That regional countdoesn'tincludeHastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health,whichshares a weekly average of itslocal hospitalization count: two in its most recentweekly update.

Western Quebec has a stable37 hospital patients with COVID. None of them arein intensive care. The province says two more of its residents who had COVID have died, bringing that region's death toll to 477.

On Friday the EOHU reported its 27th COVID death of 2023 and 304th overall.

Vaccines

The Kingston area's health unit says 14per cent of its population age five and up have had a COVID vaccine in the last six months.

That number drops to 15 per cent in HPE, and it remains unavailable elsewhere.