Feb. 15 COVID-19 update: Ottawa stays under 50 eight straight days, province expands vaccine rollout

OTTAWA – Heading in to the end of the provincial lockdown tomorrow (Feb. 16) Ottawa continues to see sub-50 numbers in terms of new daily cases of COVID-19.

According to the Ontario government’s report yesterday (Feb. 14), the province is reporting 981 confirmed cases, down 25 per cent from 1,300 reported on Saturday, while Ottawa Public Health (OPH) records 45 new cases in the city, which is slightly down from 46 reported Saturday. 

Ottawa’s active case count is at 426, adding six more cases in the community.

There are 39 more cases resolved since Saturday, bringing that up to 13,090.

Two new outbreaks have been declared at healthcare institutions, bringing the current active total to 18. Two outbreaks have also been reported in the community, bringing that number up to seven. And one more active outbreak is being reported childcare and daycare establishments, bringing that total to seven.

The number of people in hospital remains at 13, with three people in intensive care.

Ontario’s total case count is now at 285,868.

Of the new cases reported on Sunday, 38 are among kids ages nine to 13, while 35 are among children ages four to eight and 29 are teens ages 14 to 17.

The Ontario government also says there are a total of 310 cases involving variant strains in the province as of Feb. 13, the majority of which (251) were contracted through close contact of a confirmed case.

Most of the variant cases involve the UK strain (303), while six of the cases involve the South African variant and only one case involving the Japanese variant (which was discovered in Ontario on Friday).

Yesterday, alone, there were six new cases of the UK variant added to the total tally, with three added to the South African variant case count.

There are also 42 new deaths in the province, up from the 19 reported on Saturday, bringing the total death toll to 6,693.

Since Saturday, 1,235 more cases have resolved, bringing the total number of cleared cases to 267,128.

That means about 93 per cent of cases across the province have resolved since the start of the pandemic.

There are now 81 fewer people in hospital with the virus, bringing that total count down to 705, while there are five more people in intensive care, bringing that count up to 292.

The number of people on a ventilator remains unchanged at 203.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit is reporting 49 new cases yesterday, up from the 49 reported on Saturday.

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit have no new cases to report, while the Renfrew County and District Health Unit have removed one case from its count.

The province reports completing 48,701 tests since Saturday, down 17 per cent from yesterday.

The current positivity rate in the province has increased to 2.6 per cent from 2.3 per cent on Saturday.

Province set to expand vaccine rollout

ONTARIO – With the COVID-19 vaccine supply set to gradually increase over the coming days and weeks, the province is now making plans to expand its Phase One rollout.

According to a memo sent to medical officers of health and hospital CEOs, adults over the age of 80, staff, residents and caregivers in retirement homes along with all Indigenous adults are now next in line to receive their first doses.

Since the vaccines first arrived in Canada, the priority was to get first doses into the arms of all long-term care homes as well as staff and essential caregivers and frontline health care workers. The province says with that now nearing completion, it is now ready to make vaccines available to the remainder of the Phase One populations.

• Adults 80 years of age and older
• Staff, residents and caregivers in retirement homes and other congregate care settings for seniors (e.g., assisted living)
• Health care workers in the High Priority level, and in accordance with the Ministry of Health’s guidance on Health Care Worker Prioritization
• All Indigenous adults
• Adult recipients of chronic home care

The province goes on to say second dose appointments for the Pfizer vaccine are now being administered 35 to 42 days later except for those recipients in long-term care, First Nations elder care, seniors in retirement homes and congregate care settings and adults over the age of 80. Those individuals can expect to receive the second dose between 21 and 27 days later.

The second doses for the Moderna vaccine will continue to be 28 days after the first dose.