Locally, coronavirus hitting those in their 50s and 60s, officials say

There were 17 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, seven of them in intensive care.

The hospitalized patients in Ottawa show a pattern that underlines that COVID-19 is not just an illness that affects people over 70, said the city’s medical officer of health, Dr. Vera Etches.

Almost all of those in intensive care are in their 50s and 60s. Only one is over 70.

This pattern didn’t hold for the province as a whole, where there are now 993 confirmed cases of COVID-19, up 135 from 858 cases on Thursday, including 18 deaths and eight resolved cases.

“Unfortunately, most of the deaths we’ve seen so far have been with more elderly people, many of whom have had other health issues as well,” said Health Minister

Christine Elliott. “That’s why it’s really important for us to protect those vulnerable populations."

Ottawa Public Health, which keeps its own database, said there were 75 confirmed cases in the city as of Friday.

The city also has its first COVID-19 case in a retirement home, the Promenade residence in Orléans. Both the individual and their spouse are in hospital. Outbreak measures have been taken in the residence and staff and residents are being carefully monitored, Etches said.

Generally, statistics for official diagnoses should be viewed with caution. Testing does not track down all cases because the mild symptoms most people have aren’t distinguishable from common colds, and because public health can’t test large numbers of people.

Returning snowbirds and travellers have been a concern for health authorities. At 2 p.m. on Friday, the province sent out an emergency message to cellphones advising returning travellers not to leave their homes for 14 days. That includes trips to grocery stores or visits with family or friends.

The federal government has recently passed an order requiring people who arrive in Canada by air, land or sea to self-isolate for 14 days. The order carries strict penalties of up to $1 million in fines or three years in prison.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he has had a lot of calls from cottage country concerned about the influx of returning travellers to retail stores and hospitals.

“If you don’t have to go up to the cottage, just stay at your residence,” Ford urged.

He said he will introduce measures to fine price-gouging in the next few days.

In Quebec, Premier François Legault warned against travelling to Montreal or the Eastern Townships

— the two hardest-hit regions in the province — and urged people who lived in those two hot spots to stay there. He said 10 more people had died of the virus in the province, bringing the toll to 18.