Ottawa sees drop in COVID-19 hospitalizations heading into the weekend
Ottawa Public Health is reporting 15 Ottawa residents in hospital because of an active COVID-19 infection on Friday, down from 17 on Thursday.
Coronavirus in Ottawa | COVID-19 | CTV News Ottawa
Ottawa public school board lifting mandatory mask requirement
Masks will no longer be mandatory in Ottawa's public elementary and secondary schools starting Monday, with the board now 'strongly' encouraging students, teachers and visitors to wear masks in buildings.
COVID-19 hospitalizations increase in Ottawa
Ottawa Public Health reported 17 people in Ottawa area hospitals with an active COVID-19 infection, up from 11 on Tuesday.
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
More COVID-19 in Ottawa Stories
Variants of Concern
Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past
The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family but scientists say it spreads faster than its Omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease.
COVID-19 identified by trained dogs sniffing skin swabs: study
A new study that brought sniffer dogs to an airport to search for COVID-19 has found that dogs may be able to detect the virus with high accuracy just from smelling skin swabs.
Do COVID-19 rapid tests work on Omicron?
A recent study revealed that COVID-19 rapid antigen tests may be less sensitive to newer variants, leaving some to wonder just how accurate these tests actually are. Experts share how to get the most accurate results when testing for the virus.
China's COVID plan is 'unsustainable' due to Omicron: WHO
The head of the World Health Organization said China's extreme approach to containing the coronavirus is unsustainable because of the highly infectious nature of the Omicron variant, but that it's up to every country to decide what policy to pursue.
South Africa in new surge of COVID from versions of Omicron
South Africa is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two Omicron sub-variants, according to health experts.
Omicron subvariants behind South Africa surge detected in Canada
Two new Omicron subvariants that are driving a surge of COVID-19 infections in South Africa have been detected in Canada. In an email to CTVNews.ca, a Public Health Agency of Canada spokesperson confirmed they are aware of three BA.4 cases in Canada, and one of BA.5.
WHO: COVID-19 falling everywhere, except Americas and Africa
The number of new coronavirus cases reported worldwide has continued to fall except in the Americas and Africa, the World Health Organization said in its latest assessment of the pandemic.
Rapid COVID test not keeping pace with new variants, scientists say
A new study has found that rapid antigen tests, which can be self-administered at home to monitor for COVID-19 infection, may not be keeping pace with emerging variants of concern that differ from the original strain of SARS-CoV-2.
INTERACTIVES
Re-opening Canada
Feds aiming to address airport 'bottlenecks' in time for summer travel season
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra says the federal government is working with groups on the ground to resolve air travel 'bottlenecks' in time for a busy summer.
Canada's most northern border to reopen June 1, Yukon prepares for return of tourism
Yukon's tourism industry is abuzz with anticipation as Canada's northernmost border opens next week for the first time since before the pandemic began, says the executive director of the Klondike Visitors Association in Dawson City.
Group of Ontario lawyers petitions courts to keep proceedings virtual
More than 1,000 lawyers in Ontario have signed a petition to make all court appearances 'presumptively virtual unless parties and their counsel agree otherwise.'
CTVNews.ca Coronavirus Coverage
Shanghai lockdown: Residents demand release, and some get it
Reports of some Shanghai residents being allowed to leave their residence under lockdown reflect the built up frustration after more than seven weeks of lockdown, even as the number of new daily cases has fallen to a few hundred in a city of 25 million people.
Widespread disbelief over North Korea's tiny COVID-19 death rate
According to North Korea, its fight against COVID-19 has been impressive: About 3.3 million people have been reported sick with fevers, but only 69 have died.
Dominant coronavirus mutant contains ghost of pandemic past
The coronavirus mutant that is now dominant in the United States is a member of the omicron family but scientists say it spreads faster than its Omicron predecessors, is adept at escaping immunity and might possibly cause more serious disease.
Japan to resume tourism in June, but only package tours for now
Japan will open its borders to foreign tourists in June for the first time since imposing tight pandemic travel restrictions about two years ago, but only for package tours for now, the prime minister said Thursday.
The next pandemic? Why monkeypox isn't the new COVID
Health experts say that the monkeypox virus isn’t likely to have a similar impact to SARS-CoV-2, mainly because it isn’t a new virus and doesn’t spread the same way.
How COVID-19 Affects Me
Severity of COVID-19 infection linked to air pollution: Canadian study
An extensive study of thousands of COVID-19 patients in Ontario hospitals found links between the severity of their infections and the levels of common air pollutants they experience.
International travel to Canada on the rise as pandemic restrictions lift: StatCan
International travel to Canada has continued to rise with the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions but remains below pre-pandemic levels, recent data from Statistics Canada shows.
Pfizer says 3 COVID shots protect children under 5
Three doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine offer strong protection for children younger than 5, the company announced Monday. Pfizer plans to give the data to U.S. regulators later this week in a step toward letting the littlest kids get the shots.
The COVID pandemic is 'most certainly not over': WHO chief
The COVID-19 pandemic is 'most certainly not over,' the head of the World Health Organization warned Sunday, despite a decline in reported cases since the peak of the Omicron wave. He told governments that 'we lower our guard at our peril.'
Canadians are more sensitive to stress than before the pandemic: report
A new report has found that 46 per cent of Canadians are feeling an increased sensitivity to stress than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting their overall mental health.
Your Finances During the Crisis
'Negative trajectory' in consumer confidence shows Canadians increasingly anxious about economy
Dropping consumer confidence numbers show that Canadians are growing increasingly anxious about the direction of the economy, said Nanos Research pollster Nik Nanos.
Canada's job vacancies are at a record high
The number of job vacancies across Canada reached an all-time high in March, ending a five-month decline, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
'Buy now, pay later' plans could lead to exorbitant debt for Gen Z consumers: expert
'Buy now, pay later' plans are growing in popularity among Gen Z consumers, driven by influencers on TikTok and Instagram promoting these services. But one personal finance expert says these services can carry serious financial risks for young people.
Statistics Canada says retail sales virtually unchanged in March
Retail sales in Canada were virtually unchanged in March at $60.1 billion as sales at new car dealers fell, offsetting gains elsewhere as consumers showed a willingness to keep spending, Statistics Canada reported Thursday.
'Hurts like hell': What goes into the price of gas in Canada
With the price of gas rising above $2 per litre and setting new records in Canada this year, CTVNews.ca looks at what goes into the price per litre of gasoline and where the situation could go from here.
CTV News Ottawa Top Stories
Here's what we know about the storm cleanup in Ottawa today
Hydro Ottawa is not committing to a new deadline to restore power to thousands of customers, one week after a devastating storm with wind gusts of 190 km/h hit Ottawa.
Remote parts of rural eastern Ontario could wait weeks for power restoration
A Hydro One spokesperson says some people living in remote parts of rural eastern Ontario could be waiting weeks to have power restored after last Saturday’s devastating and deadly storm.
What you need to know about Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend
It's the first in-person Ottawa Race Weekend in Ottawa since 2019, after the 2020 and 2021 events were shifted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ottawa weather: Cloudy and moist in the morning, but dry by the afternoon
A few rain showers moistened Ottawa Saturday morning, but the weather looks to be drying out for the rest of the weekend.
Hydro Ottawa 'will not meet' commitment to restore power to bulk of grid by Friday night
As of Friday evening, 26,000 Hydro Ottawa customers remain without power in all neighbourhoods of the city.
Ottawa race weekend is back and it could be a record breaking year for a first time participant
Approximately 25,000 people will take part in Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on Saturday and Sunday.
Mother and four kittens abandoned outside Ottawa pet store
Ottawa Bylaw says the "mama and her 4 kittens" were abandoned outside the PetSmart on Innes Road sometime between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. Friday.
Principal leaving Orleans French Catholic high school two weeks after dress code blitz
The principal of a French Catholic high school in Orleans is leaving the school this week, two weeks after students said a dress code enforcement "blitz" left them feeling degraded and humiliated.
Flooding no longer expected along the Gatineau River
Water levels along the Gatineau River are not expected to exceed flood stage this weekend, sparing homes from possible flooding.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman with disabilities approved for medically assisted death relocated thanks to 'inspiring' support
A 31-year-old disabled Toronto woman who was conditionally approved for a medically assisted death after a fruitless bid for safe housing says her life has been 'changed' by an outpouring of support after telling her story.
School police chief receives blame in Texas shooting response
The police official blamed for not sending officers in more quickly to stop the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting is the chief of the school system's small police force, a unit dedicated ordinarily to building relationships with students and responding to the occasional fight.
Russia takes small cities, aims to widen east Ukraine battle
Russia asserted Saturday that its troops and separatist fighters had captured a key railway junction in eastern Ukraine, the second small city to fall to Moscow's forces this week as they fought to seize all of the country's contested Donbas region.
Truth tracker: Does the World Economic Forum influence governments like Canada's?
The World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos was met with justifiable criticisms and unfounded conspiracy theories.
Calling social conservatives dinosaurs was 'wrong terminology', says Patrick Brown
Federal Conservative leadership candidate Patrick Brown says calling social conservatives 'dinosaurs' in a book he wrote about his time in Ontario politics was 'the wrong terminology.'
CTV News Video Network
CTV News in Uvalde: Officials say 'wrong decision' was made
Uvalde police official admits to officers taking ‘wrong' actions during school shooting. Tom Walters reports.
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