OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- The Ontario government is actively considering a variety of strict measures as COVID-19 cases rise across the province
- Ottawa Public Health is expected to announce new rules for summer park amenities today
- Ottawa ties daily record for COVID-19 cases on Thursday
- Ottawa Hospital increases surge plans as COVID-19 cases rise in Ottawa
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 370 new cases on Thursday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 20,966
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 208.8
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 10.6 per cent (April 7 to April 13)
- Reproduction Number: 1.23 (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 Monday to Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Open Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (testing only)
- The Heron Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (testing only)
- COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Howard Darwin Centennial Arena: Open daily 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Southwest Ottawa COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Richmond Memorial Community Centre: Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Centretown Community Health Centre: Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sandy Hill Community Health Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 pm.
- Somerset West Community Health Centre: Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday
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
Ontario considers stricter measures as models show up to 18,000 COVID-19 cases per day by end of May: sources
The Ontario government is expected to announce new measures today to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Premier Doug Ford and his cabinet were actively considering a variety of stricter measures as COVID-19 modelling shows the province could see up to 18,000 new infections per day by the end of May if current trends continue.
Sources tell CTV News Toronto and CP24 the latest data, which is expected to be released on Friday, shows that based on Ontario's current trends there could be between 12,000 to 18,000 new daily infections by the end of May, with up to 1,800 patients in intensive care.
Measures under consideration include shutting down construction to just critical infrastructure projects, fining business owners if non-essential staff attend work in-person and further restrictions on retail.
A provincewide curfew is also under consideration, sources say.
Ottawa Public Health considers capacity limits, mandatory masks for park amenities this summer
Ottawa Public Health is expected to announce new rules for summer amenities in parks today.
Associate medical officer of health Dr. Brent Moloughney said the rules could include gathering limits and mandatory masks around amenities.
Medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches issued a Section 22 Class Order in the winter to limit the number of people on outdoor skating rinks and gathering spots at tobogganing hills and cross-country ski trails.
Ottawa ties daily record for COVID-19 cases on Thursday
Ottawa Public Health reported a one-day record tying 370 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, the same day Ontario set a new one-day record for cases.
No new deaths linked to COVID-19 were reported in Ottawa.
Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020, there have been 20.966 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 479 deaths.
Ottawa Hospital increases surge plans as COVID-19 cases rise in Ottawa
The Ottawa Hospital is urging everyone to follow public health guidance and the stay-at-home order, as it prepares to implement its "Level 2" surge plans in the coming days to accommodate upwards of 220 COVID-19 patients.
"Despite the current stay-at-home order, the situation continues to escalate, and we have not yet reached the peak of the third wave, which is tremendously concerning," said the Ottawa Hospital in a statement Thursday afternoon.
With COVID-19 cases continuing to rise, Ottawa's largest hospital says surge plans will increase bed capacity, redeploy staff that will be freed up from the ramp down of non-urgent/emergency services and implement adjusted staffing models of care.
"All of us will be asked to adjust and do things differently so we can support our colleagues caring for the critically ill and those on COVID-19 units," said a statement from the Ottawa Hospital.
"Whether it is through providing support on in-patient units, or supporting the vaccination clinic efforts, we will adjust our practices to care for those who need our help."
