OTTAWA

COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Feb. 21, 2021

Josh Pringle CTV News Ottawa Producer and Digital Lead

Published Sunday, February 21, 2021 4:00AM EST

A youngster slides on a slope at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Text:

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

Fast Facts:

Starting Monday, staff, students and children with any new COVID-19 symptoms must stay home from school, even if they only have one symptom of the virus
Ottawa Bylaw issued 108 tickets to violators during COVID-19 lockdown
Renfrew County's top doctor considers stringent new rules for Barry's Bay due to COVID-19 case spike
Gatineau movie theatres will be allowed to sell popcorn and other snacks when they reopen next week

COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):

New COVID-19 cases: 53 new cases on Saturday
Total COVID-19 cases: 14,269
COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 33.7
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.8 per cent (Feb. 10 – Feb. 16)
Reproduction Number: 1.04 (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

Ottawa sees 53 new COVID-19 cases and 1 new death Saturday

Ottawa Public Health reported 53 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, the 30^th straight day with fewer than 100 cases of the virus.

One new death linked to the virus was announced.

Since the first case of COVID-19 on March 11, there have been 14,269 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 436 deaths.

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram

Single symptom COVID-19 screening returning for Ontario students Monday

The Ontario government has updated its COVID-19 screening tool for schools, saying staff, students and children must stay home, even if they only have one COVID-19 symptom.

The new school and childcare screening tool says you must stay home and self-isolate without exception until:

they receive a negative COVID-19 test result and symptoms are improving with no fever, and they are feeling well enough to go to school, OR
they receive an alternative diagnosis by a healthcare professional, OR
it has been 10 days since their symptom onset and they are feeling better.

A statement on the government's website says, "Everyone in your household should stay home if anyone has COVID-19 symptoms or is waiting for test results after experiencing symptoms."

COVID-19 test

Ottawa Bylaw issues 108 tickets to violators during COVID-19 lockdown in Ottawa

Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 108 charges for illegal gatherings and non-essential businesses opening in Ottawa during the 52 day COVID-19 lockdown.

The Ontario government moved Ottawa and all of Ontario into lockdown on Dec. 26 in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19. The restrictions included all non-essential businesses remaining closed and no gatherings with people outside your own household.

The lockdown and stay-at-home order ended on Feb. 16, and Ottawa moved to the "orange-restrict" zone in Ontario's COVID-19 provincial framework for opening during the pandemic.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services says officers issued 108 charges between Dec. 26 and Feb. 15 for contraventions of Provincial Orders.

"This includes 19 charges issued to businesses and 89 charges issued to individuals, for a range of offences including open non-essential businesses, individuals attending open non-essential businesses and social gatherings," said Roger Chapman, Ottawa Bylaw Director.

Shut Happens. We will be back!

Renfrew County's top doctor considers stringent rules for Barry's Bay due to COVID-19 case spike

Renfrew County's top doctor is not ruling out tough new restrictions for Barry's Bay due to a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The town two hours west of Ottawa has seen 27 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the year, whereas the remainder of Renfrew County has totalled only 47 cases.

"They're running about a third of our cases, yet they're only 12 per cent of the population," says Dr. Robert Cushman. Renfrew County's acting medical officer of health.

In a statement earlier this week, the health unit said the COVID-19 spread has mostly been within families in Barry's Bay. The health unit said the area has been the source of frequent complaints from local merchants about customers who do not comply with the mask requirements.

Barry's Bay