Sept. 13 COVID-19 update: 400 active cases, Back to school cases, Shawville Fair exposure

OTTAWA – Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is reporting more than 400 active cases of COVID-19, but hospitalization numbers due to the coronavirus remain stable.

Despite 52 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Ottawa today (Sept. 13), there are only seven people in hospital with the virus and one in intensive care.

No new deaths related to COVID-19 keeps Ottawa’s pandemic death toll at 594.

OPH has confirmed 333 new cases of COVID-19 in the last seven days.

The health unit has added four new cases of Delta variant to its pandemic tally since Friday (Sept. 10). There have been 438 cases of the Delta COVID-19 variant in Ottawa (173 in the last 30 days).

The health unit is monitoring two community outbreaks – one linked to a religious organization, and another to a warehouse workplace. Meanwhile, there are six institutional outbreaks linked to five daycares and one school.

OPH says local COVID-19 vaccination rates are unchanged since the end of last week. According to its dashboard, 87 per cent of Ottawa residents over the age of 12 have at least one COVID-19 vaccine and 81 per cent have been fully immunized. 

According to the health unit, the rate of infection among Ottawa’s unvaccinated vaccine-eligible population is 14 times higher than it is for the fully vaccinated population. OPH says the local rate of infection per 100,000 residents for those vaccinated against the virus is up to 4.2, whereas the rate for those unvaccinated (or vaccinated with one dose under 14 days) is up to 58.8. The rate per 100,000 residents for those who are still waiting for their second shot is up to 21.5. 

Ontario is reporting 600 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday. Health Minister Christine Elliott says that 475 of those cases are in people who are not fully vaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

Ottawa residents being tested for COVID-19 are seeing positive results 3.6 per cent of the time.

There have been 28,941 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa (27,939 resolved) since March of 2020.

COVID back in school

OTTAWA – It’s only been a week since school started, and already Ottawa school boards are reporting cases of COVID-19.

All four school boards are now back to operating in-person classes, and this has led to some school boards reporting COVID-19 within its schools, forcing classes to be cancelled.

The Ottawa Catholic School Board is reporting one case of COVID-19 as of Sept. 10 at All Saints High School. The case involves a student.

At the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’est de l’Ontario, there is a total of six active cases among students across the school board as of Sept. 10. Because of the cases, four classes have had to be suspended.

The schools with active cases in that school board include:

• Michaëlle-Jean elementary school, which has four of the active cases; and
• Gisèle-Lalonde high school with one case; and
• L’Héritage high school with the last case.

There aren’t any schools under the CEPEO’s board that have been closed due to the cases. Classes for this school board started on Aug. 31.

There have been 12 cases reported in the Conseil des école catholiques du centre-east as of Sept. 10. Because of the number of cases, 18 students are in isolation, but neither of the reporting schools are closed because of the cases.

Cases include:

• Three cases at the Collège catholique Samual-Genest, with five classes in isolation;
• Two active cases at Découverte elementary school, with four classes in isolation;
• One case at La Vérendrye elementary school, with one class in isolation;
• One case at Notre-Place elementary school with two classes in isolation;
• One case at George-Étienne-Cartier elementary school with four classes in isolation;
• One case at Garneau secondary school;
• Two cases at Pierre-Savard secondary school, with two classes in isolation;
• One case at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau elementary school.

Classes at this school board started on Aug. 31, with two schools starting a couple of weeks later.

For the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, it’s unclear if there are any cases as the dashboard has not been updated since Aug. 13. Students have been back in class since Sept. 9.

COVID cases found at Shawville Fair

SHAWVILLE – Expo Shawville Fair goers are being asked to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms after two confirmed cases of the virus were reported in people who attended the weekend event.

Santé Quebec released a bulletin on Saturday (Sept. 11), saying anyone who was on the entertainment stage on Saturday, Sept. 4, and did not receive two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before Aug. 28, should isolate themselves immediately until Sept. 14.

Those who were there should schedule an appointment to be tested for the virus and should monitor their symptoms daily up to and including Sept. 18.

If symptoms develop, organizers say to stay in isolation and re-test for COVID-19.

Those who were on the stage but received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine before Aug. 28 should still immediately schedule an appointment to be tested for the virus.

Vaccinated people are also asked to monitor themselves for symptoms daily and avoid socializing with people who are at risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19 or complications.

For attendees of the fair who were not on the entertainment stage but walked the fairgrounds and watched the shows on the stage should also monitor for symptoms daily.