Active Ottawa COVID-19 cases hits 1,200

OTTAWA – The effects of the holiday season are starting to be felt as Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reports there are more than 1,200 active COVID-19 cases being tracked in the city.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) says the number of active COVID-19 cases that it knows of in the city is up to 1,207, and confirmed another 127 new cases of the virus today (Jan. 11).

Another resident has died due to COVID-19, which brings the city’s pandemic death toll to 398.

Local hospitalizations due to the novel coronavirus are up to 29, with 10 of those patients in intensive care (ICU).  OPH says the number of patients in ICU hit 10 on Jan. 8. It’s the first time the number of local ICU patients has been in double-digits since Oct. 12.

Outbreaks of COVID-19 are being declared at 31 health care facilities in Ottawa, including most recently at Revera’s Colonel By retirement home and Grace Manor long-term care (in both of those cases, a staff member who has contracted the virus).

One outbreak continues to stem from a school or childcare facility, while eight other community outbreaks are being monitored by OPH. Of the community outbreaks, one is linked to a multi-unit dwelling, two are from private social events, one is tied to sports and recreation, while the others all started at workplaces.

There have been 11,505 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, as of today, with 9,900 resolved.

Ontario is reporting 3,338 new COVID-19 cases, to start the week. 

Leeds, Grenville and Lanark is reporting four new cases, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit is reporting 69, and another seven are being confirmed in Renfrew County.

Premier Doug Ford says an announcement is coming tomorrow (Jan. 12_ regarding new lockdown measures for Ontario and it appears a province-wide curfew will not be among them.

Last weekend, Quebec became the first province to enforce a curfew, which led to more than 200 tickets issued by police to people found not complying with the health and safety measures.

In Ontario, the premier said his government is ready to do what is best for the safety of its residents.

“We worked all weekend, we will be going to cabinet with recommendations,” Ford said today (Jan. 11).

The premier is also warning of “turbulent waters” over the next several months ahead of new COVID-19 modelling data scheduled also to be released tomorrow.

In a brief video message released yesterday (Jan. 10) Ford says the healthcare system is on the brink of being overwhelmed and he urged Ontarians to stick together as it will be late spring before mass vaccination is available.

“I’m asking one more time we need to band together, we need to stick together,” he said. “We’re going to see some real turbulent waters over the next couple of months. The healthcare workers, the hospitals, the public health units are all doing everything they can to make sure we vaccinate as many people as possible. Mass vaccination won’t happen till April, May and June but until then, over the next few months we need to practice the social distancing and washing hands.”

The premier noted while officials are working to vaccinate people quickly, mass inoculation won’t happen until “April, May and June.”

On Friday (Jan. 8), Ford offered an ominous hint about what to expect, telling Ontarians “you will fall off your chair” when the new data is released.

Over the last week, the seven-day average for new COVID-19 infections was 3,546.

“They are actually scary numbers, this is crunch time right now,” he said.

Quebec will be under a curfew until Feb. 8 and anyone outside of their home from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. without a valid reason will be subject to infractions.

Ontario surpassed 200,000 total coronavirus cases last week, only six weeks after it topped 100,000 cases back on Nov. 20.