OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- COVID-19 testing rules leaves grieving Ottawa woman stranded at Canada-U.S. border
- Two Ottawa retirement home employees fired amid allegations of queue jumping for COVID-19 vaccine
- Ottawa Public Health reported 67 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday
- OC Transpo is trimming service on the Confederation Line for two months due to low ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Barrhaven's La Porto A Casa restaurant to close next month
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 67 new cases on Wednesday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 14,105
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 31.6
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.6 per cent (Feb. 8 – Feb. 14)
- Reproduction Number: 1.06 (seven day average)
Testing:
Who should get a test?
Ottawa Public Health says there are five 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. OR
- You have traveled to the U.K., or have come into contact with someone who recently traveled to the U.K., please go get tested immediately (even if you have no symptoms).
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 Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
COVID-19 Drive-thru assessment centre at National Arts Centre: 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.
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.
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
COVID-19 testing rules leaves grieving Ottawa woman stranded at Canada-U.S. border
An Ottawa woman is waiting for a COVID-19 test result in Port Huron, Michigan to allow her to cross the border and return home to her mourning family.
"I honestly feel betrayed by my own country right now," said Jamie Lelievre-Pettipiece in an interview with CTV News Ottawa from Port Huron.
Lelievre-Pettipiece drove from Ottawa to Michigan after her father suffered a stroke on Saturday. He passed away on Sunday.
The mother of two is now trying to return to Canada, but new rules requiring land travellers to show the results of a COVID-19 test before entering this country have left her in limbo.
"I've called the clinic two times now, they're still not in."
Effective Monday, the federal government requires travellers to show the results of a COVID-19 test when entering the country by land. Negative tests need to have been taken within three days of the scheduled arrival at the border.
Two Ottawa retirement home employees fired amid allegations of queue jumping for COVID-19 vaccine
Two employees at a retirement home have been let go following allegations an ineligible person received the COVID-19 vaccine at the facility in Ottawa's west end.
Last week, Riverstone Retirement Communities announced a manager at Stirling Park Retirement Community was suspended and an investigation was underway after it was made aware of "concerns in regards to recent vaccination efforts at one of our communities."
CTV News confirmed a manager at Stirling Park was accused of stopping a housekeeping aide from being vaccinated so his wife could get the vaccine instead.
In a statement on Wednesday, Riverstone Retirement Communities said it had completed its investigation into "recent events" at Stirling Park Retirement Community on Titan Private, near Merivale Road.
"Riverstone can confirm that following the investigation two employees are no longer with the company," said Riverstone Retirement Communities. "Our focus will continue to be the health and wellness of our residents and employees."
Active COVID-19 cases rise on Wednesday as Ottawa Public Health adds 67 new positive tests
Sixty-seven more Ottawa residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
Since the first case of COVID-19 on March 11, there have been 14,105 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 434 deaths.
Cost-saving LRT service cut coming in March as ridership remains low
There will be fewer trains running on Ottawa's light rail transit system this spring as ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels.
The transit commission was told peak service on the Confederation Line will drop from 15 trains to 11 trains in March and April.
Ridership across OC Transpo was at 18 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in January, rising to 21 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in February as students returned to school.
Barrhaven's La Porto A Casa restaurant to close next month
After 16 years, La Porto A Casa in Barrhaven is closing its doors.
In a post on Facebook, Caroline and Ozzie Rossie announce the restaurant serving authentic Italian food on Fallowfield Road will close on March 20.
"Over the past couple of weeks everyone keeps asking if COVID is the reason we are closing,” the post reads. “In truth if the past year had not happened, I would not be writing this.
"The past year has definitely taken its toll on us and so with our lease coming up for renewal, we decided that we just need a break."
