Ottawa’s novel coronavirus case count jumped again Wednesday amid an extended surge in new infections over recent days.
Ottawa Public Health’s coronavirus dashboard shows 33 new COVID-19 cases were added in Ottawa on Wednesday, raising the city’s total to 2,320 cases.
More than half of the new cases are linked to people under the age of 40.
No new deaths linked to COVID-19 and no new institutional outbreaks were reported in Ottawa on Wednesday.
The number of active cases in the city now stands at 189. Eight people are in hospital with COVID-19, three of whom are in the intensive care unit.
Ottawa’s latest results follow spikes of 43 new cases on Tuesday, 20 new cases on Monday and 35 cases over the past weekend.
Ottawa Public Health officials said Tuesday that these case volumes, not seen in Ottawa since May, are largely traced back to Stage 2, with the impacts of the city’s Stage 3 reopening last Friday not yet reflected in local coronavirus data.
Dr. Brent Moloughney, Ottawa’s associate medical officer of health, told media Tuesday that the recent surge in cases is largely connected to younger residents who have had a “shift” in social behaviour.
He pointed to indoor parties without physical distancing, confusion around social circles and people going to work while sick as “concerning” trends contributing to Ottawa’s rising case count.
OPH’s comprehensive daily report on Ottawa’s coronavirus data, including information on hospitalizations, outbreaks and age breakdown, will be released Wednesday afternoon.