Feb. 5 COVID-19 update: Cases go up, LTC vaccinations almost complete

OTTAWA – Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is reporting 54 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa today (Feb. 5), but all other key indicators of transmission in the city continue to fall.

There are 28 people in hospital with the virus — five of whom are in intensive care. OPH says it knows of 438 active cases of COVID-19 in the community.

Outbreaks continue to resolve at local healthcare institutions, as the number of facilities dealing with outbreaks is now down to 22. OPH says there are six other outbreaks at childcare and school settings, and three others linked to workplaces in the city.

The positivity rate among residents being tested for COVID-19 is down to 1.6 per cent.

There are no new deaths related to COVID-19 in Ottawa today, leaving the local pandemic death toll at 422.

There have been 13,539 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the capital since March of last year. Of those, OPH says 12,678 cases have been resolved.

Ontario is reporting 1,670 new cases of COVID-19 today, including 11 in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, but none in either of the Renfrew County or Leeds, Grenville and Lanark health districts.

Ottawa finishing up second round of LTC home vaccinations

OTTAWA – Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says the second round of COVID-19 vaccinations are finishing up at long-term care homes across the city, while more doses are arriving in the capital, during a media availability today (Feb. 5).

The mayor says the city just received a shipment of the Moderna vaccine today. Up until now, only Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have been administered, locally.

With more doses at their disposal, Ottawa’s mobile vaccination teams are expected to make their way to high-risk retirement homes starting next week, according to Watson.

Numbers of new vaccine doses were not released. The latest vaccine update from Ottawa Public Health (OPH) came earlier this week, saying a new shipment arrived Monday (Feb. 1), bringing 4,875 new doses.

As of this morning, the city had administered 26,337 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and had received 30,225 doses.