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

Fast Facts:

  • Ottawa police will begin setting up checkpoints at the five crossings between Ottawa and Gatineau on Monday
  • Ontario announces new restrictions on social gatherings, playgrounds and essential retail in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19
  • Ottawa Public Health reported more than 300 cases of COVID-19 for the sixth time in seven days
  • The Queensway Carleton Hospital is ramping down surgeries and services as COVID-19 cases rise

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

  • New COVID-19 cases: 345 new cases on Friday
  • Total COVID-19 cases: 21,311
  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 218.8
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 10.5  per cent (April 7 to April 13)
  • Reproduction Number: 1.21 (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 setting up checkpoints at Ottawa-Gatineau border

Ottawa police will begin setting up checkpoints at the five interprovincial crossings between Ottawa and Gatineau on Monday, as part of new COVID-19 restrictions announced by the Ontario government.

"My initial understanding is it's intended to be on a 24-7 basis and will carry on for several weeks," said Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly in a Friday evening media briefing.

"It will be a significant staffing challenge for us."

Premier Doug Ford announced new restrictions on interprovincial travel between Ontario and Manitoba and Ontario and Quebec in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Quebec government announced Friday evening it will also close its borders to non-essential travel across the Quebec-Ontario boundary.

Quebec police officers stop traffic entering QC

A look at the new COVID-19 restrictions in Ottawa

The Ontario government is extending the stay-at-home order by two weeks and placing new restrictions on recreational activities, social gatherings and retail.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced "urgent actions" targeted at stopping the rapid growth in COVID-19 case rates late Friday afternoon.

The new restrictions include:

  • Restricting interprovincial travel into Ontario from Manitoba and Quebec
  • Prohibit all outdoor social gatherings and organized public events
  • Close all non-essential workplaces in the construction sector
  • Reduce capacity limits to 25 per cent in all retail settings where in-store shopping is permitted, including supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and pharmacies
  • Close all outdoor recreational amenities, such as golf courses, basketball courts, soccer fields and playgrounds with limited exceptions

Effective Monday, April 19, capacity for weddings, funerals and religious services, rites or ceremonies will be capped at a maximum of 10 people indoors and outdoors.

City officials say it's their understanding that Ottawa parks will remain open for walking through, but amenities must close. 

COVID-19 in Ottawa

Ontario sets new one-day record for COVID-19 cases; 345 new cases in Ottawa

Ottawa Public Health reported more than 300 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa for the sixth time in seven days on Friday, while hospitalizations reached a record high during the pandemic.

Public health reported 345 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, along with one new death linked to the virus. A total of 170 of the 345 new cases of COVID-19 involve Ottawa residents under the age of 30.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020, there have been 21.311 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 480 deaths.

For the first time during the pandemic, the number of people in Ottawa-area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses has exceeded 100 patients. As of Friday, there are 104 people in Ottawa-area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses, including 34 in the ICU.

 

Queensway Carleton Hospital ramps down surgeries and services as COVID-19 cases rise

The Queensway Carleton Hospital is ramping down surgeries and services as COVID-19 related hospitalizations reach record levels in Ottawa.

Ottawa Public Health reported 104 patients in Ottawa-area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses on Friday, and 33 people in the ICU.  

"QCH has moved to the next stage in its pandemic surge plan and has further ramped down surgeries and services to prepare for the increased COVID needs in Ottawa," said Queensway Carleton Hospital on Twitter.

"This will make more staff available – including nurses and RTs – for other urgent priorities."

The Queensway Carleton Hospital had 30 COVID-19 patients on Friday, including 12 in the ICU.

Queensway Carleton Hospital