OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.

Fast Facts:

  • The Ontario government is expected to announce a month-long provincial shutdown to limit the spread of COVID-19
  • Quebec is imposing a 10-day lockdown on Gatineau; all schools and non-essential businesses must close
  • Ottawa Public Health reports a seventh straight day of triple-digit COVID-19 cases in Ottawa
  • 12 per cent of eligible Ottawa residents receive first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):

  • New COVID-19 cases: 117 new cases on Wednesday
  • Total COVID-19 cases: 17,294
  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 91.6
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 5.9 per cent (Mar. 24 to Mar. 30)
  • Reproduction Number: 1.11 (seven day average)

Testing:

Who should get a test?

Ottawa Public Health says you can get a COVID-19 test at an assessment centre, care clinic, or community testing site if any of the following apply to you:

  • You are showing COVID-19 symptoms;
  • You have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by Ottawa Public Health or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app;
  • You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health;
  • You are a resident, a worker or a visitor to long-term care, retirement homes, homeless shelters or other congregate settings (for example: group homes, community supported living, disability-specific communities or congregate settings, short-term rehab, hospices and other shelters);
  • You are a person who identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis;
  • You are a person travelling to work in a remote First Nations, Inuit or Métis community;
  • You received a preliminary positive result through rapid testing;
  • You require testing 72 hours before a scheduled (non-urgent or emergent) surgery (as recommended by your health care provider);
  • You are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort tra­velling out of country for medical treatment;
  • You are an international student that has passed their 14-day quarantine period;
  • You are a farm worker;
  • You are an educator who cannot access pharmacy-testing; or
  • You are in a targeted testing group as outlined in guidance from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:

There are several sites for COVID-19 testing in Ottawa. To book an appointment, visit https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/shared-content/assessment-centres.aspx

  • The Brewer Ottawa Hospital/CHEO Assessment Centre: Open Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Drive-thru assessment centre at National Arts Centre: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
  • The Heron Care and Testing Centre: Open Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Good Friday

  • COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre – Moodie: 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre – Ray Friel: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at NAC: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, April 3

  • COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre - Moodie: 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • COVID-19 CHEO Assessment Centre and Kids Come First Care Clinic at Brewer Arena: 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Assessment Centre for Adults at Brewer Park Arena: 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at NAC: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 4

  • COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre - Moodie: 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • COVID-19 CHEO Assessment Centre and Kids Come First Care Clinic at Brewer Arena: 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Assessment Centre for Adults at Brewer Park Arena: 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at NAC: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Vaccine eligibility screening tool:

To check and see if you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa, click here. 

COVID-19 screening tool:

The COVID-19 screening tool for students heading back to in-person classes can be found here.

Symptoms:

Classic Symptoms: fever, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath

Other symptoms: sore throat, difficulty swallowing, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pneumonia, new or unexplained runny nose or nasal congestion

Less common symptoms: unexplained fatigue, muscle aches, headache, delirium, chills, red/inflamed eyes, croup

'We are seeing what we feared:' Etches asks province to move Ottawa into 'grey' COVID-19 lockdown

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his government will make an announcement on possible new COVID-19 restrictions today.

Sources tell CTV Toronto that Ontario will implement a month-long provincial shutdown. 

The announcement comes one day after Ottawa's medical officer of health said she's recommending a lockdown for Ottawa to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

“What I asked the chief medical officer of health to do is move us into the grey level,” Dr. Vera Etches said Wednesday. “Further restrictions in our city are needed in our city to manage this situation.”

“We are seeing what we feared. The vaccine hasn’t arrived in time to outpace the growth in our community.”

Under a Grey-Lockdown, social gatherings would be prohibited, indoor dining at bars and restaurants would close and gyms would be shutdown.

Ontario COVID-19 restrictions

Quebec imposes 10-day lockdown on Gatineau; Outaouais moving to red zone

A 10-day lockdown will begin at 8 p.m. Thursday in Gatineau, as the Quebec government takes steps to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Premier Francois Legault announced the Quebec government is moving the Outaouais into the red zone, effective 8 p.m. Thursday. Quebec City, Chaudiere-Appalaches and Bas-St-Laurent regions will also move into the red zone. 

"The situation is even more serious in Quebec, Levis and Gatineau, this means that in the coming days hospitalizations will increase. We must act quickly," said Legault.

"This is why I'm announcing that Quebec, Levis and Gatineau will be on pause for 10-days, until April 12."

Effective 8 p.m. Thursday, non-essential businesses, schools, theatres, museums, hair dressers and gyms in Gatineau must close for 10 days, until April 12.

A curfew will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Quebec curfew during pandemic

Ottawa's COVID-19 positivity rate climbs to nearly 6 per cent

Ottawa Public Health reported 117 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday, the seventh straight day with triple-digit COVID-19 cases.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020, there have been 17,294 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 464 deaths.

Ottawa's positivity rate increased to 5.9 per cent.

 

12 per cent of eligible Ottawa residents have first dose of vaccine, new OPH site says

Ottawa Public Health says 12 per cent of eligible residents have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The health unit released a new COVID-19 vaccination dashboard on Wednesday, with information on COVID-19 vaccines administered during the pandemic.

105,345 residents of Ottawa have had one dose of the vaccine, while 24,968 have had two.

COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa