COVID-19 levels remain high, but largely stable

Recent developments:

• Ottawa recorded three new COVID-19 deaths over the past three days. 

Many of the key indicators of COVID-19 levels in Ottawa remain largely unchanged since Ottawa Public Health's (OPH) last update, but officials say those levels are still high. Health officials say the current wave is driven by the BA.5 coronavirus subvariant.

Two Ottawa-area hospitals had to close their emergency departments earlier this month. 

OPH is asking residents to remain extra vigilant if they plan to attend gatherings, and that actions taken now can help influence the outcome of this latest wave in the weeks to come. 

On Friday, Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table also confirmed it will be dissolved early next month after more than two years.

The latest Ottawa update

Wastewater

The average level of coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater remains high and relatively unchanged. It rose for more than a month starting in early June, but has been dropping for most of August. 

Hospitals

Twenty-two Ottawa residents have been admitted to a city hospital with COVID-19, according to OPH's latest update. One patient is in intensive care.

According to OPH, hospitalizations are at a moderate level and remain largely unchanged since the most recent update. 

The hospitalization figures above don't include all patients. For example, they leave out patients admitted for other reasons who then test positive for COVID-19, those admitted for lingering COVID-19 complications, and those transferred from other health units.

Tests, outbreaks and cases

Testing strategies changed under the Omicron variant, meaning many COVID-19 cases aren't reflected in current counts. Public health officials now only track and report outbreaks in health-care settings.

Ottawa's test positivity rate sits just under 15 per cent.

There are currently 40 active COVID outbreaks in Ottawa. Those include five new outbreaks recorded in the past three days. 

OPH reported 231 more cases and three new deaths over the last three days.

A total of 871 Ottawa residents with COVID-19 have died: 381 in 2020, 229 in 2021 and 261 so far this year.

Vaccines

As of the most recent weekly update, 93 per cent of Ottawa residents age five and up had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 89 per cent had at least two.

Sixty-five per cent of Ottawans age 12 and over had at least three doses, and 21 per cent had four.

• Ontario opens vaccines to kids under 5 July 28
• Quebec opens COVID-19 vaccination appointments for kids under 5

Across the region

In Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) counties, wastewater levels are declining in Brockville and Kemptville. They've dropped in Smiths Falls and remain stable across the Kingston area.

Western Quebec is reporting 113 COVID hospitalizations. Four of those patients are in intensive care.

Eastern Ontario communities outside Ottawa are reporting 48 COVID hospitalizations, including eight patients in intensive care.

That regional total doesn't include Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, which has a different counting method. Its nine hospitalizations are decrease since the most recent update and zero patients are in intensive care.

Of the seven local health authorities, four have had more deaths this year than in either 2020 or 2021 — HPE, EOHU, the Kingston area and Renfrew County. 

Across eastern Ontario, between 81 and 92 per cent of residents age five and up have received at least two vaccine doses, and between 59 and 71 per cent of adults have had at least three.

The total number of vaccine doses given to local residents has passed 5.6 million.