Intensive care continues to fill up during latest COVID-19 surge

OTTAWA – Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is reporting 15 patients are now in intensive care beds in Ottawa hospitals as the results of the holiday season continue to filter in.

OPH is reporting 179 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa with 15 patients now in intensive care units (ICU).

Today’s (Jan. 13) ICU number is up from 11 from Tuesday. The number of hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Ottawa are still at 33 — triple what it was less than two weeks ago.

No new deaths keeps the city’s pandemic death toll at 398.

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in the community is up to 1,217, according to OPH.

There are outbreaks of the virus at 31 healthcare facilities, with a new one declared at Villa Marconi long-term care. Two staff members at that home have contracted COVID-19.

Elsewhere, OPH says it’s still keeping an eye on one outbreak linked to a school or childcare centre, and seven community outbreaks. Of the community outbreaks, there are no longer any linked to social events. One stems from a multi-unit dwelling, another from sports and recreation, and the rest are from workplaces.

Since last March, 11,747 residents have contracted COVID-19, with 10,132 of those cases resolved.

Ontario is reporting 2,961 new cases of COVID-19, Wednesday, with 12 in eastern Ontario, five in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark and no new cases in Renfrew County.

New doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are ready to go out to more of Ottawa’s long-term care homes.

According to Mayor Jim Watson, a new shipment of vaccines arrived yesterday (Jan. 12) and the Ottawa Hospital will start to administer them today.

“I am pleased to say our vaccination teams have been to 12 out of our 28 long-term care homes in the past week alone,” Watson said yesterday. “We started vaccinating residents only, but we have been able to move on to include care givers as well as staff.”

Watson is reassuring residents it’s good news to have more vaccines available, but that it’s still early in the process.

With the new provincial stay-at-home order, Watson is reiterating the need to for residents to continue follow public health guidelines until the vaccine can become more widely available to the general public.

“We’re sick and tired of the pandemic, but we have to repeat these messages, because clearly a portion of our population are not following the rules, are being irresponsible and are putting all of us at risk,” Watson said.