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Flu continues to grip Ottawa as COVID, RSV levels settle

COVID-19 and RSV are seen as low or moderate. Flu wastewater readings and hospitalizations, though dropping, remain very high.

Flu wastewater readings, hospitalization remain very high

Andrew Foote · CBC News ·
People walk on a downtown city street in early spring.
Pedestrians walk along Wellington Street in Ottawa on April 16, 2022, during the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Trevor Pritchard/CBC)

Recent developments:

  • Ottawa's COVID-19 and RSV numbers are low to moderate.
  • Some flu trends are still seen as very high.
  • Three more COVID deaths have been reported.

The latest

The weekly respiratory update from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is a familiar one. 

COVID-19 and RSV are seen as low or moderate. Flu wastewater readings and hospitalizations, though dropping, remain very high as this flu season stretches into spring.

Health officials recommend people cover coughs, wear masks, keep hands clean, stay home when sick and keep up with COVID and flu vaccines to help protect themselves and vulnerable people.

OPH says the city's health-care institutions remain at high risk from respiratory illnesses, as they've been since the end of August. This will be the case until respiratory trends are low again.

COVID-19 in Ottawa

Ottawa's coronavirus wastewater average is low and stable.

A chart of the level of coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater since March 2023.
Researchers have measured and shared the amount of novel coronavirus in Ottawa's wastewater since June 2020. This is the data for the last year. (613covid.ca)

The weekly average test positivity rate in the city is 10 per cent, ticking back up into moderate territory. There are again 14 new COVID-related hospitalizations in the city and the active COVID outbreak count remains at six.

There has been one more COVID death reported in the capital. OPH's next COVID vaccination update is expected in early April.

Across the region

In western Quebec, 18 hospital patients have tested positive for COVID and the region is reporting one more death.

The Kingston area health unit is again out of high-risk respiratory territory.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) still rates its overall respiratory risk as moderate and stable.

Renfrew County's COVID trends are stable, with one more death.

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) data goes up to March 17, when its trends were stable or dropping. Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health hadn't filed its weekly COVID update by publishing time.

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