The number of COVID-19 cases continues to spike in Ottawa, as Monday marked the third consecutive day of double-digit increases in the city’s coronavirus case count.
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reported 20 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the city on Monday, raising the local total to 2,244.
Results from the last 24 hours follow 16 confirmed cases on Sunday and 19 cases on Saturday.
The number of active cases in the city now stands at 118, double the figures from a week ago.
Five patients are currently in hospital with COVID-19, with one person in the intensive care unit. Even as case numbers rise, Ottawa has been able to avoid any additional deaths related to COVID-19 for the past 24 days.
OPH data shows residents aged 20-29 are the demographic with the highest number of cases in Ottawa, as 318 of total cases are connected to adults in their 20s.
OPH confirmed to Global News in a statement Monday that the number of young people testing positive for the coronavirus has increased in recent days.
The local public health unit noted that “many” cases from this past weekend are linked to indoor gatherings where individuals were not physically distancing, as well as people gathering with others not in their social circle or, in some cases, residents still going to work while sick.
There are now six ongoing outbreaks of the virus in Ottawa institutions, including Carlingview Manor, a long-term care home already hit hard by COVID-19.
The long-term care facility declared a new outbreak on July 16 in connection to one new resident case.
Carlingview had previously seen 259 cases and 59 deaths related to COVID-19 between April 7 and June 18.