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

Fast Facts:

  • Ottawa saw a slight increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases in the city.
  • Ontario reported more than 1,700 COVID-19 infections provincewide.
  • The provincial government now says it is in direct talks with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers.
  • The Prime Minister says the federal and provincial governments agree that the prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines should be consisted across Canada.

COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa:

  • New cases: 34 on Tuesday
  • Total COVID-19: 8,521
  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 26.8
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.3 per cent (Nov. 21 to 27)

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

34 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Tuesday and one new death

Ottawa Public Health is reporting 34 additional people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person has died.

The figure marks a slight increase from Monday's report, when 29 new positive tests were reported.

According to Ottawa Public Health's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 8,521 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began.

Ottawa's death toll from the pandemic is now 375. 

 

Ontario records another 1,700 new cases of COVID-19 as testing slumps

Ontario is reporting another 1,700 new cases of COVID-19 as testing for the disease falls well below the province’s own daily goal of 50,000.

The 1,707 new infections represent a slight decrease over Monday’s total when 1,746 cases were logged.

With 34,640 tests performed in the last 24 hours, the province’s COVID-19 positivity rate now stands at 5.1 per cent, the highest its been in more than a week.

COVID-19 Toronto

Ontario government now in direct talks with COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers

Officials planning for the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario are now speaking directly with the manufacturers of seven different candidate vaccines as they prepare for what Health Minister Christine Elliott says will be “the largest logistical undertaking” the province has faced “in a generation.”

Speaking with reporters after touring a Brampton warehouse belonging to the pharmaceutical distribution company McKesson on Tuesday, Health Minister Christine Elliott said that efforts are nonetheless underway to make sure that Ontario will be in a position to distribute vaccines as of Dec. 31.

Elliott has previously said that Ontario expects to receive a combined 2.4 million doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines by March, which would be enough to vaccinate 1.2 million Ontarians.

The federal government, however, has not publicly confirmed that number.

Doug Ford and Rick Hillier

Feds, provinces agree vaccine prioritization should be consistent Canada-wide

As the precise order of who will follow seniors, health care workers and high-risk populations in line to get COVID-19 vaccines is still being sorted out, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal and provincial governments agree that there should be a cross-Canada "consensus" on the matter.

According to the preliminary guidance issued by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, the recommendation is that essential workers and others who face increased risks related to COVID-19 should be vaccinated against the disease before everyone else. Examples of those at higher risk include providers of essential services, or those whose living or working conditions put them at higher risk.

The subsequent order of who gets vaccinated next remains a largely open question, however, in the race to see 70 per cent of Canadians vaccinated by September.

COVID-19 vaccine generic

With files from CTVNewsToronto.ca's Phil Tsekouras, CP24's Chris Fox, and CTVNews.ca's Rachel Aiello