City of Ottawa lifting COVID-19 state of emergency
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has announced the municipal state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic is coming to an end.
Speaking at council on Wednesday, Watson said the state of emergency, in place since March 25, 2020, will officially end at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.
"The pandemic is certainly not over, but we continue to make great progress in Ottawa in terms of high vaccination rates, low hospitalization rates and other key public health indicators," Watson said in opening remarks. "I've advised the province that the municipal state of emergency will end as of 12:01 a.m. tomorrow."
The state of emergency gives the city abilities it normally doesn’t have such as rapid procurement and reassigning staff. Emergency services general manager Anthony Di Monte said Wednesday those tools are no longer needed.
Watson says the city's emergency operations centre will move to activated operations.
"The municipal state of emergency that I declared on March 25, 2020 provided the conditions for the city to be nimble in the procurement and organization of resources, including our staff," Watson said. "I've been assured that deescalating into activated operations will not affect day-to-day operations, nor will it impede our ability to respond to future provincial direction on the pandemic."
Activated operations is the third-highest emergency response level in the city, behind a state of emergency and ahead of situational awareness operations and enhanced operations. According to a city document, Activated Operations indicates a situation that requires the engagement of the Senior Leadership Team through the mobilization of the Emergency Operations Centre.
The state of emergency was declared two weeks after Ottawa recorded its first official case of COVID-19 and eight days after Ontario declared a state of emergency due to the pandemic. At that time, Ottawa Public Health was investigating 25 confirmed and 13 indeterminate cases of COVID-19 in the city.
Watson said the strides in vaccination in Ottawa helped inform the decision to end the state of emergency locally.
"We are continuing to make strong progress in our vaccine campaign. As of today, 83 per cent of Ottawa residents 18 and older have received one dose and 67 per cent have been fully vaccinated. That is truly remarkable," he said. "To date, we have administered over 1.3 million doses in our community clinics, pharmacies, pop-up clinics, and primary care providers."
City mask bylaw to lapse
The city of Ottawa’s temporary mask bylaw is set to lapse next month, but masks will still be required in indoor public places.
Council has had to vote every three months to extend the bylaw, but they didn’t do so on Wednesday, meaning it will come to an end Aug. 26.
Di Monte explained that the city instituted the bylaw when there was no provincial tool to ensure mask-wearing, but then provincial regulations came into effect.
“We feel that provincial regulation gives us sufficient tools,” he said, adding that if the province removes regulations after Aug. 26, the city can bring its bylaw back if needed.
Associate medical officer of health Dr. Brent Moloughney said masking remains an important public health measure with a large number of people still unvaccinated.
“Masking has been very effective thing that we can do for each other to prevent transmission. Really important with asymptomatic,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.