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Seven more COVID-19-related deaths were reported in Ottawa on Friday, bringing the city’s total to 21.

It was the city’s largest single-day jump in reported deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Two of the deaths occurred on Monday, one on Tuesday and four on Wednesday, said Ottawa Public Health.

The new deaths wereall related to outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes, bringing the totalCOVID-19-related deaths in those facilities to 12.

“My thoughts are with the family members, friends, and caregivers of the people who have died,” Ottawa chief medical officer Dr. Vera Etches said in a statement. “OPH continues to work with health-care partners to ensure long-term-care and retirement homes are a top priority for protection.”

Additionally, 50 new confirmed cases were reported in Ottawa on Friday, bringing the total to 728.

“An increase in testing might contribute, in part, to the increase in newly identified cases,” Ottawa Public Health said.

Among those recently diagnosed is a staff member at the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, the second there to test positive in as many days.

OC Transpo reported Thursday afternoon that one of its drivers also tested positive for COVID-19, the third driver and fifth employee of the agency to so far do so.

Of 37 COVID-19 patients currently in hospital in Ottawa, 13 are in intensive care, down from 43 hospitalized patients and 17 ICU patients as of Thursday.

Meanwhile, 42 per cent of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ottawa have been resolved, with many patients’ symptoms clearing up and isolation no longer required.

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Etches also praised Ottawa residents for their resiliency in maintaining physical distancing and other measures to help limit the spread of COVID-19. “There would be more cases of COVID-19 in our community had everyone not done their part over the past month,” she said. “Please keep up this hard work over the next stretch of time. Thank you again for all the actions you are taking as a community — these actionsare saving lives.”

Quebec health officials reported the first COVID-19 death in the Outaouais on Friday. No additional details were released.

The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Outaouais reported there had been 192 cases in the region so far, with 149 of those cases in the city of Gatineau, 25 in MRC de Papineau, 12 in MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais and five or less in each of MRC de la Vallée-de-la-Gatineau and MRC du Pontiac. As of Friday, there were nine hospitalizations, including four people in intensive care.

The National Capital Commission, meanwhile, announced Friday that it would launch a pilot project closing the Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Laurier and Fifth avenues to motor vehicles daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., starting Saturday and running through April 26 “to enable physical distancing for residents who live in the dense surrounding areas.”

The NCC asked that only local residents living nearby access the Queen Elizabeth Driveway during the pilot and that “members of the public should not seek to drive there as a destination.”

Canadian Heritage also announced Friday that this year’s Canada Day festivities in Ottawa, which typically fills the downtown core and Parliament Hill grounds with tens of thousands of revellers, would be held online.

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“We are working with Canadian artists and artisans to put together a virtual program,” the department said, promising more details soon.

With files from Taylor Blewett and Joanne Laucius

bdeachman@postmedia.com

City of Ottawa, as of 4 p.m. Thursday

728: Number of confirmed cases

50: Number of new cases since Wednesday

21: Total number of deaths

7: Number of new deaths — two on Monday, one on Tuesday and four on Wednesday

16: Number of outbreaks in institutions, including hospitals, LTC and retirement homes

106: Number of confirmed cases among first responders

37: Number of patients in hospital

13: Number in intensive care

304: Number of cases resolved

Ontario, as of Thursday

9,525: Number of confirmed cases

564: Number of new cases since Wednesday

478: Total number of deaths

55: Number of new deaths since Wednesday

106: Approximate number of outbreaks in LTC homes

4;556: Number of cases resolved

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