COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Aug. 18, 2021

OTTAWA -

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

Fast Facts:

• Ontario announced new vaccination policies for workers and volunteers in high-risk settings.
• Hundreds of elementary school students in Ottawa have gone back to school for the first time since April.
• Mayor Jim Watson is asking City Manager Steve Kanellakos to develop a comprehensive vaccination policy for city workers.
• Ottawa Public Health reported a slight drop in the number of active COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.

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

• New COVID-19 cases: 14 new cases on Tuesday.
• Total COVID-19 cases: 28,011
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 11.5
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.4 per cent (seven day average)
• Reproduction Number: 1.04 (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 are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort tra­velling out of country for medical treatment;
• 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.

Long-term care staff, caregivers, volunteers and visitors who are fully immunized against COVID-19 are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test before entering or visiting a long-term care home.

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 Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Kemptville) – 15 Campus Drive: Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 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, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday

COVID-19 screening tool:

The COVID-19 screening tool for summer camp children and staff. All campers and staff must complete the COVID-19 School and Childcare screening tool daily.

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

A 'difficult fall and winter' ahead in Ontario

Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health says he anticipates a "difficult fall and winter" with the Delta variant, and he has issued new directives around vaccinations, booster shots, and reopening the economy.

Dr. Kieran Moore said the province is pausing its reopening plan until vaccination plans for high-risk groups are in place. 

Employees, staff, contractors, students, and volunteers at hospitals and home and community care settings will have to provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, have a medical reason for not being vaccinated, or complete a vaccination educational session and undergo regular testing.

The Ministry of Education also plans to introduce a vaccination disclosure policy for all publicly-fund school board employees, and staff in private schools. 

The new directives do not make vaccines a requirement for people in these settings but instead focus on the people who are unvaccinated.

The new policies will need to be in place by Sept. 7.

Moore also announced that Ontario would begin offering a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to people who are most at risk of serious illness.

Dr. Kieran Moore attends a press briefing at Queens Park in Toronto on Thursday June 24, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Hundreds of Ottawa students head back inside the classroom

The first group of students in Ottawa heading back to school were in their classrooms Tuesday for the start of a new school year.

More than 700 students arrived at École élémentaire catholique Bernard-Grandmaître and École élémentaire catholique Jonathan-Pitre for the first day of school. These two schools start earlier in August as part of their balanced calendar.

Safety measures and COVID-19 protocols remain in place. There are decals on the floor to help students maintain physical distance. There are also hand sanitizer stations throughout each school, including at the entrance of every classroom. Students are required to wear masks while inside but they can take them off while they are eating.

Students at Bernard-Grandmaître aren’t old enough to get the COVID-19 vaccine yet. Ottawa Public Health says they are working with schools and school boards to keep kids safe.

Students at École élémentaire catholique Bernard-Grandmaître returned to the classroom Aug. 17, 2021. They are the first group of Ottawa students to go back to in person learning in more than four months. (Leah Larocque / CTV News Ottawa)

Mayor calls on city staff to develop vaccination policy for city hall

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has written to City Manager Steve Kanellakos asking him to develop a comprehensive vaccination policy for city employees.

"With more of the economy reopened, there will be more opportunity for COVID-19 to spread. Now more than ever it is vital that we ensure the City of Ottawa is doing everything it can to protect our staff and residents," Watson wrote.

The request follows similar announcements from the federal and Ontario governments.

Watson asked Kanellakos to develop "a comprehensive vaccine policy for our staff" and to meet with the unions that represent city workers to discuss it. Watson told Kanellakos to have a policy proposal and timeline prepared before the Labour Day long weekend.

Ottawa City Hall (File photo).

OPH reports 14 new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa on Tuesday

Ottawa Public Health said Tuesday another 14 people in the city tested positive for COVID-19. No new deaths were reported.

To date, the city has seen 28,011 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The death toll from the pandemic has stood at 593 residents since July 8. Another 18 existing cases are now considered resolved, dropping the number of confirmed active cases to 134 from 138.

There are four COVID-19 patients in hospital locally, including one person in the ICU. The weekly incidence rate of new cases per 100,000 people continues to rise.

In the last 30 days, OPH has recorded 58 cases of the Delta variant in Ottawa. No one infected with the Delta variant has died.

There are two active COVID-19 outbreaks in Ottawa. 

 

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram