RECENT DEVELOPMENTS:
Flu numbers largely dropped over the last week in Ottawa, according to the latest data from Ottawa Public Health (OPH). They’re still mostly high, with some very high wastewater readings and hospitalization figures.
Rates of COVID-19 and RSV remain high. The RSV scenario is strong and COVID trends are moving in various directions, with some symptoms that its spread is slowing.
Experts suggest that people cough, wear masks, keep hands and surfaces they touch clean; Stay home if you have health problems and get vaccinated against COVID and flu to help protect yourself and other vulnerable people.
OPH says the city’s fitness facilities remain at the highest risk for respiratory illnesses, as has been the case for the more than 20 weeks since late August.
This is expected to be the case at least until March.
VIEW | Is it possible that your cough won’t stop? You’re not alone:
propagated
Ottawa hit its highest coronavirus wastewater average of 2023 on New Year’s Eve. It has dropped significantly since then.
As of Saturday, OPH still assessed this average as very high. However, as of Tuesday, it had fallen to what OPH described as the last time it happened in this community in August.
The weekly average test positivity rate in the city drops to about 13 per cent, which OPH still sees as high.
Hospitalizations, epidemics, and deaths
Over the past week, the average number of Ottawa citizens in hospitals for COVID-19 has remained stable at 44.
A separate, wider count — which includes patients who tested positive for COVID after being admitted for other reasons, were admitted for lingering COVID complications or were transferred from other health units — has risen a bit after a fall.
OPH considers the number of new COVID-related hospitalizations in the city to be high (53).
The number of active COVID outbreaks is solid: 25, most commonly in nursing homes or nursing homes. There are a high number of new outbreaks.
The fitness unit reported 216 additional COVID cases and five additional COVID deaths over the past week.
Twenty-two per cent of Ottawa citizens have received the COVID vaccine since the last edition launched in mid-September, up from 21 per cent two weeks ago. These figures do not take into account immunity against a recent infection.
The Kingston Region Health Unit says we are also in the midst of an era of maximum threat for respiratory illnesses. The toll of flu and COVID in the region is stable, with trends ranging from low to very high. The RSV strain is declining somewhat in the region.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) Global Assessment assesses overall breathing as moderate to high.
Hastings Prince Edward (HPE) Public Health, like Ottawa, provides a weekly average of COVID cases in hospitals. That number fell from 39 to 27, the highest average since fall 2022.
Renfrew County hospitalizations remain stable at six and the positivity rate remains stable at 24, in line with the percent.
Western Quebec is again having 54 hospitalized patients who were tested for COVID, its lowest number since early October 2023. The province reported five more COVID deaths.
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark (LGL) counties reported six more COVID deaths and HPE reported one. Renfrew County reported five more deaths in the past two weeks.
LGL’s awareness dates back to January 7, when its trends were high.
Public Relations, CBC P. O. P. Box 500, Station To Toronto, ON Canada, M5W 1E6
Toll Free (Canada only): 1-866-306-4636
It is a precedent for CBC to create products that are available to everyone in Canada, adding others with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges.
Closed captioning and described videos are available for many CBC systems featured in CBC Gem.