High respiratory risk in some places, rising COVID hospitalizations elsewhere
More local hospitals are changing their mask, visitor rules
Recent developments:
- Ottawa's COVID-19 numbers are mostly stable or dropping.
- Individual trends are moderate to high.
- Hospitalizations rise in the Outaouais, Leeds-Grenville-Lanark.
- More hospitals are bringing back widespread mask rules.
- Seven more local COVID deaths have been reported.
The latest
The city's COVID-19 numbers to watch are mostly stable or dropping at either moderate or high levels in this week's Ottawa Public Health (OPH) updates. It has a moderate amount of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity and a low level of flu.
Because of this, OPH again says the city's health-care institutions remain at a high risk from respiratory illnesses, like they would be in December, January and February.
OPH is expecting the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season to be similar to its last, when COVID-19, flu and RSV surged at the same time to press health-care staff and the health system to the point the Red Cross had to help.
Experts recommend that people wear masks, keep their hands clean, gather in well-ventilated and less-crowded spaces, stay home when sick and keep up to date with COVID and flu vaccines to help protect themselves and vulnerable people.
Mandatory masking is returning to Kingston's hospitals and Ottawa children's hospital CHEO, which are citing rising COVID and other respiratory illnesses. CHEO says it will also be restricting visitors.
The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit (LGL) says it's not hosting flu and COVID vaccine clinics for the general public this respiratory season, opting instead to hold clinics for priority groups and vaccines through pharmacies otherwise.
Both COVID-19 and flu vaccines are expected to be available for the general public in Ottawa around the end of this month, with earlier availability for people at higher risk of serious health problems.
Quebec's COVID and flu vaccine campaign is now underway in long-term care homes (CHSLDS) and private seniors' residences. Everyone else will be able to get the vaccines starting Tuesday.
Wastewater
Data from the research team shows that as of Sept. 27, the average coronavirus wastewater level has been generally rising for two-and-a-half months, with growth getting more uneven this month and being generally flat in recent days.
OPH now considers this to be high, down from very high last week.
Hospitals
The average number of Ottawa residents in local hospitals for COVID-19 in the last week is down to 21, with no patients in an ICU.
A separate count that includes patients who tested positive for COVID after being admitted for other reasons, were admitted for lingering COVID complications and were transferred from other health units, is also down.
Its 27 new patients in the previous week is moderate, according to OPH.
Tests, outbreaks, deaths and vaccines
The city's weekly average test positivity rate is about 18 per cent, rising again for about a week after dropping for two weeks. OPH has said this is a high level.
OPH says there are 26 active COVID outbreaks, calling this stable and high. Most outbreaks are in care homes.
The health unit reported 209 more COVID cases in the last week and four more COVID deaths: one person in their 50s and the other three all age 80 and above.
OPH's monthly COVID vaccination update says before the updated vaccine rolls out, 28 per cent of residents have had a vaccine in the last year. This doesn't account for immunity from infection.
WATCH | A look at vaccine updates across the country:
Across the region
Spread
The Kingston area's health unit says its COVID trends are rising at high to very high levels and it's in a high-risk time for transmission. Other respiratory illness trends are generally low.
Its average coronavirus wastewater reading is considered very high and rising. Other available wastewater trends outside Ottawa are at least a week old: rising in Cornwall, Smiths Falls and Brockville and dropping after a spike in Hawkesbury.
The average COVID-19 test positivity is a stable 15 per cent in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) and a high, rising 17 per cent in the Kingston area.
Hospitalizations and deaths
The Kingston area's health unit says it has a very high and stable 32 active COVID patients in its hospitals, including anyone living in a different health unit.
The EOHU's hospitalizations are stable at 12 after a jump last week.
The number of hospitalizations in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties rose from two last week to eight this week. The health unit is reporting two COVID intensive care patients and their 166th COVID death.
Western Quebec jumps again from 27 to 46 hospital patients with COVID. The province reports two more COVID deaths there for 497 overall.
Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health says services such as COVID updates will be resuming now that deals to end two strikes were ratified.
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