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Another jump in new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa but hospitalizations are down – CTV Edmonton

Published

3 weeks ago

December 24, 2020

Megan Johnson

OTTAWA —
Ottawa Public Health says 62 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19, another jump compared to previous days.

OPH reported 48 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 16 on Tuesday.

OPH said Thursday that there were 62 new positive test results in the city, lower than the 77 reported by Public Health Ontario, and that no new deaths were reported.

There have been 9,510 total lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa and 390 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

The new cases in Ottawa are among a record 2,447 new infections across Ontario. Forty-nine new deaths were also reported provincewide.

There are 646 new cases in Toronto, 502 in Peel, 263 in York Region and 173 in Windsor-Essex County, some of the province’s lockdown zones.

A provincewide shutdown will move Ottawa to lockdown status at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 26.

OPH also said there are 15 COVID-19 patients in the city’s hospitals, with none in intensive care. There were 18 people in hospitals on Wednesday.

Active cases are up to 349, from 329 on Wednesday. OPH says 8,771 people in Ottawa have had their COVID-19 cases resolve. Forty-two new recoveries were reported on Thursday.

OPH’s COVID-19 dashboard will not be updating on Dec. 25 or Jan. 1.

OTTAWA COVID-19 STATUS: ORANGE-RESTRICT

Ottawa remains in the “Orange-Restrict” level under the provincial reopening framework. Ottawa moved into the restriction level on Nov. 7.

A provincewide lockdown will move Ottawa into lockdown status as of 12:01 a.m. Dec. 26.

The “Orange-Restrict” level is for areas with a weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people of between 25 and 39.9, a positivity rate between 1.3 per cent and 2.4 per cent and a reproduction number of 1 to 1.1.

Here is where Ottawa stands on those metrics currently, according to Ottawa Public Health:

COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 29.2
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.2 per cent (Dec. 14 to 20)
Reproduction Number: 0.97 (seven day average as of Dec. 23)

The “Yellow-Protect” level requires a weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 people of between 10 and 24.9, a positivity rate between 0.5 per cent and 1.2 per cent and a reproduction number of “approximately 1”, according to the province.

TESTING

Ontario health officials said 64,592 COVID-19 tests were performed across Ontario on Wednesday and 75,250 tests remain under investigation.

The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce says 1,925 swabs were taken at assessment centres on Wednesday and local labs performed 5,919 tests.

There are 3,475 tests still in progress as of Dec. 24. The positivity rate for Ottawa during the week of Dec. 14 to 20 was 1.2 per cent.

The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 40 hours.

CASES OF COVID-19 AROUND THE REGION

Public Health Ontario is reporting the following in health units around eastern Ontario:

Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 30 new cases
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 3 new cases
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 7 new cases
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 5 new cases
Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 1 new case

The Quebec government reported nine new cases in the Outaouais region, which includes Gatineau.

INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS

Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 21 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.

A new outbreak was declared at the childcare centre attached to Terre-des-Jeunes school, which is also experiencing an outbreak.

There are four active community outbreaks, all linked to unidentified workplaces. OPH does not name which workplaces have outbreaks or how many cases are linked to each workplace outbreak.

To date, there have been 42 workplace outbreaks in Ottawa (4 active, 38 closed) accounting for 231 cases of COVID-19 and one death.

The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

École élémentaire catholique Terre-des-Jeunes
Grandir Ensemble child care at l’École Terre-des-Jeunes (NEW)

The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:

Association Intégration Sociale d’Ottawa – 21034
Besserer Place
Bridlewood Trails Retirement Home
Cité Parkway
Courtyards on Eagleson
Extendicare Medex
Extendicare New Orchard Lodge
Extendicare Starwood
Extendicare West End Villa
Group home – 27332
Madonna Care Community
Maison Accueil-Sagesse
Manotick Place Retirement Home
Maycourt Hospice
Montfort Hospital – 3C, 4C
Parkway House
Rudy Shenkman Hospice
Shelter – 27273
Village at the Glebe Retirement Residence

A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, a single confirmed, symptomatic case in a staff member, home daycare provider, or child triggers an outbreak.

Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).

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Quebec confirms it will delay second vaccine dose for CHSLD residents and staff – Montreal Gazette

Published

29 mins ago

January 15, 2021

Megan Johnson

On Feb. 15, Quebec will begin vaccinating seniors ages 80 and over who live at home.

Health officials told the Montreal Gazette this week that they aren’t ready to release details about the next phase of vaccination plan.

Public health authorities say they’re closely monitoring seniors in CHSLDs who have received the first dose to make sure it’s still effective weeks later, said Richard Massé, a public health epidemiologist.

Massé defended Quebec’s decision to ignore a recommendation by the National Advisory Committee on Vaccination, which said if provinces delay administering the second dose due to logistical or epidemiological reasons, it should be given with 42 days of the first dose.

On Thursday, Canada’s Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health, which includes the Chief Medical Officer of Health from each province and territory, also weighed in on Quebec’s plan, saying if the second dose is extended beyond 42 days, “the impact on people vaccinated must be closely monitored.”

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Wife of Nunavut man who died from COVID-19 pleads with people to get vaccinated – CTV News

Published

2 hours ago

January 15, 2021

Megan Johnson

IQALUIT, NUNAVUT —
The wife of a Nunavut man who died from COVID-19 after contracting it in his community is urging the territory’s residents to get vaccinated.

Diane Sammurtok’s husband Luki died in December after being flown from his home in Arviat to a southern hospital.

Sammurtok called in to Arviat’s local radio station and pleaded with people to get the vaccine.

A recording of the call was played at a news conference today and broadcast over radio and television.

Speaking through tears and sobs, Sammurtok said she doesn’t want anyone to go through what she did.

Premier Joe Savikataaq, who is from Arviat, had tears in his eyes as he listened and his voice shook as he addressed the media.

Savikataaq urged people to stop spreading misinformation about the vaccine and said he will get it when it’s his turn.

Vaccination clinics are underway in four Nunavut communities this week and are tol roll out in four more next week.

There are no active cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut.

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Pfizer investigates post-vaccine death for possible connection – Mint

Published

4 hours ago

January 15, 2021

Megan Johnson

Pfizer Inc. and federal health officials are investigating the death of a health-care worker 16 days after the person received the first dose of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine.

So far, the evidence doesn’t suggest a connection, Pfizer said in a statement on Tuesday. The Florida-based physician developed a rare disorder called severe thrombocytopenia that decreases the body’s ability to clot blood and stop internal bleeding.

Also Read | What’s got Indians excited about Covid shot

Pfizer cited its clinical trials and data gathered since the vaccine was authorized in the US in reporting its initial conclusion that the evidence doesn’t suggest a causal association to the shot it developed with Germany’s BioNTech SE. Meanwhile, the x said it is aware of the death, and “will evaluate the situation as more information becomes available,” according to spokesman Tom Skinner.

“To date, millions of people have been vaccinated and we are closely monitoring all adverse events in individuals receiving our vaccine,” Pfizer said in its statement. “It is important to note that serious adverse events, including deaths that are unrelated to the vaccine, are unfortunately likely to occur at a similar rate as they would in the general population.”

Pfizer’s shares were down 2% to $37.03 at 3:14 pm in New York trading on a day when the company also said its 2021 adjusted earnings would be between $3 and $3.10 per share, less than what analysts were expecting.

The New York Times first reported news of the death of Gregory Michael, a 56-year-old obstetrician and gynecologist located in Miami Beach. The Times cited a Facebook post written on Jan. 5 by his wife, Heidi Neckelmann, who said Michael had died from a brain hemorrhage.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for emergency use in the US on Dec. 14, with health-care workers and those in long-term care facilities the first in line to get the shot. Thus far, 9.27 million shots have been administered of this vaccine and a second authorized vaccine developed by Moderna Inc., according to a state-by-state tally by Bloomberg and data from the CDC.

The CDC, along with the US Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies, regularly review Covid-19 vaccine safety monitoring data and share their findings with a group of vaccine safety experts, who provide independent guidance to the federal officials, according to the CDC’s Skinner.

“Our thoughts are with the family during this heartbreaking time,” Skinner said.

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