Ottawa’s surge in coronavirus infections continues Thursday with 82 new COVID-19 cases reported via the local public health unit.
The latest daily increase is Ottawa’s second-largest spike in cases so far in the pandemic, surpassed only by the 93 cases reported on Tuesday.
No new deaths related to the novel coronavirus were reported in the city on Thursday, according to Ottawa Public Health (OPH).
The number of active coronavirus cases in Ottawa shot back up again, rising to 587 on Thursday after dipping to 545 on Wednesday.
OPH’s latest weekly epidemiology report shows the second wave of the virus in the nation’s capital was already setting grim records before this week’s spiking case figures.
The local public health unit’s report shows the week of Sept. 14-20 had the highest number of new cases reported since the pandemic began with 385 people testing positive for the virus.
That’s up from 244 cases the week previous and surpasses the previous high of 331 cases set in the week of Apr. 20.
There are now 14 people in hospital with COVID-19 — one more than the day before — and three people in intensive care.
Dr. Vera Etches, the local medical officer of health, said Wednesday the only metric keeping Ottawa from falling into the red on OPH’s COVID-19 warning system is the stability of hospitalizations.
Wards in two Ottawa hospitals — l’Hôpital Montfort and St. Vincent Hospital — are now subject to coronavirus outbreaks, according to OPH’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Two residents have tested positive for the virus at St. Vincent while one resident and two staff members have tested positive at Montfort.
A new outbreak has also been declared at French private school Lycée Claudel, where two students have tested positive for the virus.
This marks the fifth Ottawa school to declare an outbreak of COVID-19.
In total, there are now 35 ongoing coronavirus outbreaks across Ottawa’s long-term care homes, schools, workplaces and other institutions.