'Encouraging' signs about COVID-19, respiratory virus situation in Ottawa, health officials say
The weekly 'Respiratory Virus Snapshot" show COVID-19 activity level is declining, while influenza and RSV levels remain unchanged from last week.

The weekly 'Respiratory Virus Snapshot" show COVID-19 activity level is declining, while influenza and RSV levels remain unchanged from last week.
Ottawa ranks 45th out of 62 cities across Canada and the United States in a study on downtown recovery, with activity levels at 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Ottawa Public Health's twice-weekly COVID-19 update reported three new deaths and 116 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday.
Two new subvariants of Omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, are spreading more quickly than other coronavirus variants in Europe, which could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths as they become dominant, the EU's disease prevention agency said on Monday.
A new study has found that COVID-19 antibody treatments aren't as effective for new variants due to the evolving mutations of the differing virus strains.
The number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported globally fell everywhere except the Middle East and Southeast Asia last week, according to a World Health Organization weekly report released Wednesday.
Moderna's experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection against the omicron variant appears to work, the company announced Wednesday.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The federal government will announce that COVID-19 vaccine mandates for domestic travel on planes and trains, as well as outgoing international travel, will be suspended, senior government sources have told CTV News.
All remaining COVID-19 public health restrictions in Alberta will be lifted Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., including mandatory isolation requirements.
The federal government has announced that it will be temporarily suspending mandatory random COVID-19 testing at Canadian airports for vaccinated travellers beginning June 11, before moving randomized testing off-site as of July 1.
Medicago Inc., the Quebec-based drug manufacturer of a Canadian COVID-19 vaccine and other plant-based drugs, is being shut down by parent company Mitsubishi Chemical Group.
White-tailed deer may be a reservoir for COVID-19 variants of concern including Alpha, Delta and Gamma, according to new research out of Cornell University that raises questions about whether deer could re-introduce nearly extinct variants back into the human population.
Authorities announced Friday that travel between Hong Kong and China will no longer require COVID-19 PCR tests nor be held to a daily limit, as both places seek to drive economic growth.
People arriving on flights to Canada from China, Hong Kong and Macao will have to do a COVID-19 test before they board for another two months, after Canada announced it would renew border restrictions on air travel from those areas Thursday.
Quebec is changing its vaccine strategy: public health officials are now recommending booster shots only for vulnerable people who have never had COVID-19.
Canada's COVID Alert app will be discontinued in the coming days, a federal government source tells The Canadian Press.
As more details emerge about the long-term effects of COVID-19, experts say vaccination is likely to have protective benefits against long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection. But an important question that has yet to be answered is exactly how much protection it offers.
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine may pose a higher risk of heart inflammation in some age groups than Pfizer-BioNTech's shot, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, citing recent data.
Infants born to those who tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy may have neurodevelopmental issues after birth, according to preliminary findings from two separate studies out of the U.S. and Spain.
A province-wide mask mandate that was first introduced in October 2020 has now been lifted in virtually all of the so-called “high-risk” settings where it had remained in place, including on public transit.
Many Canadians have continued to see an increase in their rental rates in 2023. In an column on CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains how to calculate how much rent you can afford.
With the spring break travel season approaching, those looking to flee the cold, wet Canadian snow for sunnier skies will likely be met with a hefty price tag for their getaway, with inflation and increased demand pushing costs up.
When selling a home, Canadians may be exempted from paying capital gains tax on a residential property -- if it's their principal residence. On CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains what's determined as a principal residence, and what properties are eligible for the exemption.
The Bank of Canada hiked its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point Wednesday, bringing it to 4.5 per cent. Here's a look at what the rate means, how analysts are interpreting it and what it could mean for consumers.
The federal government's latest TFSA contribution limit increase took effect as of January 1, 2023. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew outlines how the government’s most recent TFSA contribution limit increase affects you and how to make the most of it.
Ottawa is experiencing its coldest Feb. 4 in 100 years but the temperature is expected to rise steadily over the next 24 hours.
The 17 automated speed enforcement cameras set up in school zones across the city of Ottawa issued a total of 127,939 speeding tickets in 2022.
Ottawa firefighters responded to three fires overnight as extreme cold gripped the capital.
Hydro One crews are working in the bitter cold to reconnect customers in Pembroke and Cobden who woke up Saturday without power.
Canadian Heritage says Winterlude's outdoor activities will resume in Ottawa and Gatineau on Saturday, one day after the extreme cold weather cancelled all outdoor events.
Ottawa paramedics say one person has been reported injured after a crash on Highway 417 Saturday morning.
A federal government department has fired 49 employees who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit while they were employed.
Marit Stiles is expected to be confirmed as the new leader of the Ontario NDP today.
Canada announced that it had called China's ambassador onto the carpet as Ottawa and Washington expressed their disapproval Friday over a high-altitude balloon found to have been hovering over sensitive sites in the United States.
Convicted murderer Daniel Jolivet, in prison for the past 30 years, has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. W5 reviews the evidence he painstakingly assembled while behind bars. W5's documentary 'Buried Evidence' airs Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war have returned home following a prisoner swap, officials on both sides said Saturday.
Marit Stiles is expected to be confirmed as the new leader of the Ontario NDP today.
The massive white orb drifting across U.S. airspace has triggered a diplomatic maelstrom and is blowing up on social media. A look at what's known about the balloon crossing the U.S. and what isn't.
In the field of cancer treatment, nothing is more important than diagnosing and treating the problem as quickly as possible — but according to new survey data, about one in four Canadian cancer patients report that they are still experiencing cancelled or postponed appointments.
According to professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in biological hazards and microfungi it may not just be the stuff of science fiction.