Ottawa elementary schools continue to report COVID-19 outbreaks on the first day vaccination appointments opened up in the city for kids aged five to 11.
Ottawa Public Health reported 31 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday and one additional death related to the virus.
The number of active cases in the city held steady at 347 while the local death toll of the pandemic ticked up to 615.
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 in Ottawa dropped to 13 as of Tuesday, down from 15 the day before. One patient is in intensive care.
Four new COVID-19 outbreaks, all of which affect local elementary schools, were added to OPH’s dashboard on Tuesday.
Pinecrest Public School, École élémentaire catholique Lamoureux, Chesterton Academy and St. Rita all declared outbreaks this past weekend, according to the most recent update.
Of the 34 ongoing outbreaks across Ottawa, 18 involve elementary schools.
This youngest crop of students is now due for their COVID-19 vaccinations, with appointments opening up Tuesday for kids born in 2016 or later to get their first doses at OPH clinics starting Friday.
Ottawa Public Health said in a tweet that 24,000 appointments had been booked for this age group by 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
So far, 88 per cent of eligible residents aged 12 and older have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, representing 77 per cent of the city’s total population.
The age 12-18 cohort reports some of the highest vaccination rates across all the city’s age groups, with 96 per cent having gotten at least one dose and 91 per cent considered fully vaccinated.
Some 13 active COVID-19 outbreaks in Ottawa affect hospital wards, shelters, care homes and other shared living facilities.
The Ottawa Hospital Civic campus is reporting five separate outbreaks across its wards. One undisclosed shelter in the city reports 45 cases connected with an outbreak.
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