Ottawa’s COVID-19 rates dropping as Ontario shutdown extended 2 weeks

Ottawa Public Health is reporting 104 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as Premier Doug Ford confirms the province will remain under a stay-at-home order for an additional two weeks to get coronavirus levels under control in Ontario.

OPH also reported five new deaths related to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, raising the city’s death toll of the pandemic to 533.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Ottawa meanwhile dropped below 1,200 on Thursday as the city’s weekly coronavirus incidence rate dipped to 71.5 cases per 100,000 people.

A rate of fewer than 40 cases per 100,000 was the previous metric used to place a region in the red-control zone on Ontario’s colour-coded reopening framework, before the province-wide shutdown began on April 8 amid surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Ford announced Thursday afternoon that Ontario would remain under the stay-at-home order, including a ban on most outdoor activities, until at least June 2.

2:51 Increased calls for province to open outdoor activities as golf courses and tennis courts remain closed

Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa’s medical officer of health, said Wednesday that she was “encouraged” by the city’s dropping COVID-19 rates but added that the stay-at-home restrictions were working to flatten the curve.

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She said if current trends continue, she would be in favour of a regional reopening of Ottawa schools by the end of May.

The number of Ottawa residents in hospital with COVID-19 ticked up on Thursday to 74, with 22 of those patients now in intensive care.

There are 30 ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in Ottawa. Only one ongoing outbreak currently affects a workplace — a local retailer.