OTTAWA -- Ottawa’s top doctor suggests there could be up to 2,000 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, and residents need to act like the virus is already circulating in the community.
There are 16 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in the capital, with three other indeterminate cases still waiting for final test results. Health officials say one of the indeterminate cases is in a hospital.
All 16 confirmed cases have been linked to travel or contact with someone who has travelled.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told reporters Thursday afternoon everyone should assume novel coronavirus is circulating in the community, and take precautions to protect themselves.
“There’s obviously transmission happening in the community. When we think about travel-related cases that have come back, and then their close contacts some of them have become cases. So that shows us that in Ottawa there’s transmission of coronavirus.”
Dr. Etches adds “we already can be very certain that there’s community transmission because we wouldn’t have caught every single case that came in from travel. And those cases would have gone on, knowing the way the virus works, to create probably two more cases and then doubling every four or five days.”
“I feel comfortable in saying that we need to act like the virus is here.”
Dr. Etches estimated on Sunday that there could be a few hundred to 1,000 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa. On Thursday, the Medical Officer of Health said "by now it could be 2,000. We expect the number to continue to rise without social-distancing that would decrease that rate of transmission."
Ottawa Public Health is encouraging people to practice social-distancing and self-isolating if you are sick.
Dr. Etches suggested Ontario’s Ministry of Health is looking at changing the criteria for testing for COVID-19, to prioritize testing for health-care workers, hospitalized patients, staff at long-term care centres and correctional facilities.
“The present goals for testing are to detect the virus in our community, to look for that confirmation of community spread. We are seeing cases develop in contact with previous cases, which suggests transmission in Ottawa,” said Etches.
Ottawa’s COVID-19 Community Assessment Centre remains open at the Brewer Arena. Health officials are looking at opening one or two other assessment centres.
Dr. Etches was asked by CTV News Ottawa about what she would say to people who are showing symptoms of novel coronavirus and want to get tested, but don’t fit the criteria for testing at the Ottawa COVID-19 Community Assessment Centre.
“What difference would that make in the actions you take? You need to assume that it could be COVID-19, and take the actions to protect others. When you have a respiratory illness, stay home until the illness is complete and the symptoms are gone,” said Dr. Etches.
“We just can’t test everyone who has respiratory symptoms, and it wouldn’t change our approach. Our approach right now is to tell people - we have virus in our community, the best way to help everyone and help our health care system be maintaining the capacity it needs is to distance ourselves from others.”
