OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- The first COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in Ottawa will be administered today.
- Ottawa Public Health reported 48 new cases of COVID-19 and one new death on Monday.
- Ontario and Quebec both began COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday.
- Kingston's top doctor says his region is "knocking on the door" of red status as cases rise.
- More parts of the Outaouais region will be moving into Quebec's highest alert level this week.
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa:
- New cases: 48 cases on Monday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 9,105
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 30.6
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.4 per cent (Dec 7-13)
- Reproduction Number: 1.01 (seven day average)
Testing:
Who should get a test?
Ottawa Public Health says there are four reasons to seek testing for COVID-19:
- You are showing COVID-19 symptoms. OR
- 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. OR
- You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health. OR
- You are eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week. Appointments are required in most cases but LIMITED walk-up capacity is available.
To book a test for an adult, click here.
The CHEO Assessment Centre at Brewer Arena – 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week. Testing is available by appointment only.
To book a test for a child under the age of 18, click here.
The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at 595 Moodie Dr. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The centre offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.
To book an appointment, click here.
The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at 1485 Heron Rd. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The centre offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.
To book an appointment, click here.
The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex – 1585 Tenth Line Rd. is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.
To book an appointment, click here.
The COVID-19 drive-thru assessment centre at the National Arts Centre. The centre is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
To book an appointment, click here.
The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at the McNabb Community Centre, located at 180 Percy Street, is open Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
To book an appointment, click here.
The Centretown Community Health Centre at 420 Cooper St. offers COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. To book an appointment, call 613-789-1500 or book an appointment online.
The Sandy Hill Community Health Centre at 221 Nelson St. offers COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Click here to book an appointment or call 613-789-1500
The Somerset Community Health Centre at 55 Eccles St. will offer COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday. To book an appointment, call 613-789-1500 or book an appointment online.
See here for a list of other testing sites in Ottawa and eastern Ontario.
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 swallow, 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
V-Day is here
The first shipment of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine arrived Ottawa Monday, with the first health care workers providing care in long-term care homes rolling up their sleeves to get the shot today.
Three-thousand doses of COVID-19 vaccine were delivered to the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus, enough to vaccinate 1,500 people.
Active cases of COVID-19 hold steady in Ottawa
Ottawa Public Health reported 48 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday and said one more person has died.
The number of people with active infections in Ottawa held steady at 388 as 47 recoveries were also reported.
Ottawa remains in "Orange-Restrict" territory under Ontario's COVID-19 framework.
Canada vaccinates its first residents against COVID-19
The first COVID-19 vaccines were injected into the arms of Canadians on Monday, a historic moment some have dubbed “V-Day,” as the country enters a new phase of the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus.
Canada’s first recipient of a COVID-19 vaccine was 89-year-old Gisele Levesque, a resident at the Saint-Antoine long-term care home in Quebec City.
The first vaccine given in Ontario went to Toronto personal support worker Anita Quidangen.
Kingston, in "Yellow" zone flirting with "Red" zone status
Kingston's top doctor says the region could potentially jump from the yellow zone to the red zone next week if COVID-19 case counts continue to surge.
Speaking on 98.3 FLY FM's "Reid and Ben in the Morning", Medical Officer of Health for Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Dr. Kieran Moore said the region could see further restrictions announced by the provincial government this week.
Kingston's rate of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the last seven days was 40.8 as of Monday afternoon. A rate of 40 oer higher is one of the criteria for moving into "Red-Control" status.
However, it's unclear if the province will move Kingston from yellow to red and skip over "Orange-Restrict".
More parts of Outaouais moving to Quebec's red zone
More parts of the Outaouais region of Quebec, just north of Ottawa, will be moving to the maximum alert level under Quebec's COVID-19 framework this week.
The Outaouais public health unit (CISSSO) said in a press release Monday that as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, the MRC de Papineau and the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau areas would move from Level 3 (orange) to Level 4 (red).
"The passage for these two MRCs into red is justified by a significant increase in new cases in recent weeks, outbreaks in care and accommodation settings for seniors as well as a distribution of cases in several municipalities," The CISSSO said in French.
