Ottawa surpasses 1,000 coronavirus cases

Ottawa has officially surpassed 1,000 cases of the novel coronavirus in the city, a grim milestone that comes as Ottawa Public Health reports seven more deaths in the city as of Friday.

The local health unit has identified 57 new cases of the virus locally in the past day, bringing the total up to 1,034.

Ottawa’s death toll in relation to the virus now stands at 42.

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Of those deaths, 25 are linked to outbreaks in the city’s long-term care homes.

Ottawa Public Health says there are currently 22 ongoing outbreaks in Ottawa institutions, accounting for more than a quarter of all cases in the city.

The hospitalization rate for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, remains steady at 11 per cent — a key figure in determining whether the city’s coronavirus infection rate has peaked.