75 per cent of Ottawa adults have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose
Three-quarters of Ottawa adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but the city's top doctor says vaccine coverage is not enough to stop the spread of the virus.
Mayor Jim Watson tweeted Thursday morning that 75 per cent of Ottawa adults 18 and older have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. As of Wednesday, 63 per cent of Ottawa residents 12 and over had received at least one dose.
Ottawa hitting the 75 per cent vaccination mark comes less than a week after Ottawa entered Step One of the COVID-19 reopening plan, allowing patios and non-essential businesses to open.
In an interview on CTV News at Six with Graham Richardson Wednesday evening, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches acknowledged the COVID-19 signal is rising in the wastewater, which would be expected as things open up.
"What we're more concerned about is if that translates into a sustained rise, rapid uptick that's been associated with hospitalizations," said Dr. Etches.
"What's protecting us against that is largely the vaccines, but it's not enough. So the vaccination rate for our whole population is about 63 per cent, that is good. That means all those vaccinated people are less likely to get severely illness, less likely to be hospitalized even when COVID is spreading."
As Ontario accelerates the timeline for residents to receive their second dose, Dr. Etches said it's important for everyone to get fully vaccinated. The city of Ottawa has said 200,000 appointments were booked at COVID-19 vaccination sites between June 1 and July 6.
"We need the two doses really to be able to maximally protect the population. We also need this coverage to be even, we don't want pockets of the community that aren't protected as much and so that's where COVID flares up," said Etches.
In a separate interview on Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron, Etches said while the vaccines are protecting people from getting serious illness and transmitting the virus to other people, it's "probably not enough yet" to let our guard down.
"I just want to encourage people that caution is still needed, we still need folks to think about, can you keep the number of close contacts you have limited," said Etches.
"So it's growing, when you think back over the last week – can you think about how many close contacts and try to keep that lower as we still need a bit more."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.