OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Sources tell CTV News Toronto that Ontario will enter a provincewide lockdown starting Christmas Eve.
- Ottawa has fewer than 20 COVID-19 patients in local hospitals for the first time since October.
- A COVID-19 outbreak at a Pembroke dental office is being blamed on someone who traveled to the area from a lockdown region.
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa:
- New cases: 39 new cases on Saturday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 9,353
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 28.8
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.4 per cent (Dec 11-17)
- Reproduction Number: 0.97 (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
Ontario-wide lockdown coming, sources say
All of Ontario will be under lockdown as of Christmas Eve, sources tell CTV News Toronto.
These sources, who have direct knowledge of the situation, say the lockdown will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 24 and will last for 28 days in the southern portions of the province (south of Sudbury) and 14 days in the northern parts.
This lockdown will look similar to the province-wide shutdown back in March, with only essential businesses being allowed to remain open.
A formal announcement from Premier Doug Ford is expected this afternoon.
COVID-19 hospitalizations drop in Ottawa as transmission rates remain stable
Ottawa Public Health said Sunday that 39 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19, continuing a trend of relatively stable daily case counts.
According to OPH's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 9,353 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city since the pandemic began. The weekly average of cases per 100,000 population—one of the metrics used to judge Ottawa's "colour" status under the province's framework—fell from 30.9 to 28.8.
The number of people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 complications fell below 20 to 18 on Sunday. The last time there were fewer than 20 people in the hospital with COVID-19 was Oct. 1. There were also zero COVID-19 patients in intensive care in Ottawa for the second day in a row.
Renfrew doc blames COVID-19 outbreak at Pembroke dental office on visitor from lockdown zone
The top doctor at the Renfrew County and District Health Unit is blaming a visitor from a locked down part of Ontario for a COVID-19 outbreak at a Pembroke dentist's office.
The RCDHU sent a media release on Sunday confirming three staff at the unidentified office had tested positive for COVID-19.
In the release, the acting medical officer of health for the region, Dr. Robert Cushman, blamed someone from a locked down part of Ontario for bringing the virus to Pembroke.
“This was another travel-related situation where a visitor had come from a grey area currently in lockdown," Dr. Cushman said. "I am reminding everyone that this year it is imperative that the holidays be spent at home with members of your immediate household. Non-essential travel must be suspended.”
The RCDHU is currently in the "Green-Prevent" level under the province's COVID-19 framework, the lowest level on the five-tier system.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Colin D'Mello and Kayla Goodfield.
