OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Two passengers fined for allegedly faking negative COVID-19 tests
- 14.5 million Canadians to be immunized by June, updated vaccination timeline shows
- Ottawa Public Health reports 28 consecutive days with fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19
- Kingston public health tells residents not to call to book COVID-19 vaccine appointment
- Ottawa police receive fewer calls for service during COVID-19 pandemic
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 46 new cases on Thursday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 14,151
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 32.1
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.8 per cent (Feb. 10 – Feb. 16)
- Reproduction Number: 1.08 (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
Two passengers fined a combined $17,000 for allegedly faking negative COVID-19 tests
Two airline passengers have been fined a combined $17,000 after allegedly presenting falsified COVID-19 tests before flying back to Canada.
A media release from Transport Canada said the fines were for "presenting a false or misleading COVID-19 test and for making a false declaration about their health status."
"In both cases, the individuals knowingly boarded a flight to Canada from Mexico on January 23, 2021, after having tested positive for COVID-19 only a few days before their flight," said Transport Canada.
14.5M Canadians to be immunized by June, updated vaccination timeline shows
A new vaccination timeline from the federal government suggests at least 14.5 million Canadians will be able to be immunized by the end of June with the approved Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Both of these currently approved vaccines require a two-dose regimen. The updated Public Health Agency of Canada’s timeline indicates that these figures are based on each person receiving both their first and second shots.
The timeline released Thursday shows that up to 24.5 million Canadians could be fully vaccinated by the end of June, if shots from other vaccine companies are approved for use.
28 straight days with fewer than 100 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa
Ottawa Public Health is reporting 46 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, the 28th straight day with fewer than 100 cases of COVID-19 in the capital.
One new death linked to novel coronavirus was also reported.
Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, there have been 14,151 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 435 deaths.
Kingston public health tells residents not to call to book COVID-19 vaccine appointment
Kingston's top doctor is asking residents not to call the health unit's offices to book an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, saying they can’t make that happen.
Staff at the Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health have received up to 50 calls a day from residents looking to book an appointment or find out where and when they can be immunized.
"No public health agency, or pharmacist or health physician can book you at present, so it’s pointless to call anybody," Dr. Kieran Moore, medical officer of health.
Ottawa police receive fewer calls for service during COVID-19 pandemic year
Ottawa police officers received fewer requests for service last year, as demand declined "dramatically" at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A report for the Ottawa Police Services Board shows there were 314,000 requests for service in 2020, compared to 369,000 requests in 2019.
Staff say there was a nine per cent drop in calls received through the OPS dispatch system, while online reporting requests dropped by 19 per cent.
