COVID-19, other respiratory viruses show little change over holidays

In a weekly report issued Wednesday, Ottawa Public Health counted 245 new cases in the seven days ending Jan. 1.

Published Jan 03, 2024 • Last updated 10 hours ago • 1 minute read

COVID-19 cases showed an increase in the latest report. Photo by Derek Baldwin /Postmedia

COVID-19, the flu and other respiratory illnesses continued their spread in the Ottawa region over the holiday season.

In a weekly report issued Wednesday, Ottawa Public Health counted 245 new cases in the seven days ending Jan. 1.

Article content

There had been 10 new deaths in the two weeks since the previous report on Dec. 20.

Those additions brought the total number of cases to 96,941 since the pandemic began in 2020 along with 1,175 COVID-related deaths.

Advertisement 2

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office.Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account.Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Article content

The agency also reported 23 new outbreaks at institutional settings, in addition to 23 ongoing outbreaks in those facilities.

The OPH report identified a seven-day average of 51 people in hospital due to COVID-19 as of Jan. 1, with four of them in intensive care units.

Meanwhile, 19 people had been hospitalized in the previous seven days for influenza along with eight new hospitalizations for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, for a “season total” of 138.

The rate of COVID-19 infection per 100,000 people reported in the previous seven days was 23.5 cases, up slightly from the previous report.

Per cent positivity — the percentage of people among those tested who were confirmed to have a particular illness — was 16.3 for influenza (high, but lower than the previous report); 21.5 for COVID-19 (very high, but lower than the previous report); and 5.3 for RSV (moderate, about level with the previous report.)

Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed.