Ottawa reports more than 100 new coronavirus cases for first time

Ottawa added 105 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the largest single-day increase in the city since the pandemic began.

Ottawa Public Health’s (OPH) daily report also shows three new deaths linked to the novel coronavirus in Ottawa, raising the city’s death toll in the pandemic to 285.

This is the highest single-day increase in new COVID-19 cases, surpassing the spike of 93 cases last Tuesday.

OPH’s report includes one fewer case than Ontario’s provincial database reported earlier in the day.

There are now 682 active cases of the virus in Ottawa according to OPH’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Seventeen people are in hospital with COVID-19 in the city, two of whom are in the intensive care unit.

No new outbreaks were declared at Ottawa schools on Tuesday.

The coronavirus outbreak at Ottawa’s St. Vincent Hospital has worsened, with two patients dying in relation to COVID-19.

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The outbreak, declared on Sept. 23, has now seen 11 patients and 15 staff members test positive for the virus.

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Meanwhile, another hospital, the Montfort, has seen five cases of COVID-19 in its latest outbreak — one patient and four staff members.

There are currently 22 outbreaks in Ottawa health-care institutions such as hospitals, long-term care facilities and retirement homes.

Five of the homes currently facing outbreaks — Medex, New Orchard Lodge, Starwood, Laurier Manor and West End Villa — are run by long-term care operator Extendicare.

The company has voluntarily handed the reins to the Ottawa Hospital to manage patient care in two of the hardest hit homes, Laurier Manor and West End Villa. The latter has seen 13 residents die in relation to COVID-19 and more than 100 people test positive for the virus since the start of the latest outbreak on Aug. 30, according to OPH.

Reached for comment on Tuesday, an Extendicare spokesperson said that as case counts rise in the community, so too does the rate of infections within long-term care homes.

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The spokesperson added that the company’s care homes are facing the same delays as the general population in accessing timely testing results for residents and staff.

Extendicare said in a statement that since it went through the first wave of the virus this past spring, it has implemented a staff testing program, implemented training programs to better ensure infection control, secured its supply chain for personal protective equipment and struck partnerships with staffing agencies to get access to additional front-line support workers.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday stricter visiting rules for long-term care homes will be reintroduced next week.