Ottawa Public Health reported 13 new COVID-19 deaths, but the health unit says that eight deaths reported on Friday occurred earlier as a result of a data review.

Meanwhile this week, the health unit urged people to start wearing masks indoors in public spaces again amid the increased spread of respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, RSV, and the flu. The seven-day wastewater signal also remains lower than it was earlier this month after briefly rising at the end of October.

Also, Ottawa Public Health reported 320 new laboratory-confirmed cases in the past seven days, with 28 Ottawa residents hospitalized with COVID-19 and two people in intensive care due to active infection. Ottawa Public Health also says COVID levels are high in Ottawa, with hospitalizations remaining stable.

The hospital numbers from OPH represent Ottawa residents currently hospitalized due to an active COVID-19 condition, with local hospitals reporting higher numbers, which include patients admitted for reasons other than COVID-19 who tested positive and patients who are not from Ottawa.

Additionally, OPH no longer reports outbreaks in schools and childcare settings nor community outbreaks, such as those linked to local businesses, religious institutions, or sports and recreational activities.

A complete list of sites with active outbreaks is available on the OPH COVID-19 outbreak dashboard.