OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Ottawa will remain under a stay-at-home order for one more week. Kingston and Renfrew's stay-at-home order ends Wednesday.
- Ottawa Public Health reported a decrease in the number of active COVID-19 cases on Monday, but an increase in some weekly trends.
- An asymptomatic testing blitz of local school students and their families found eight positive cases out of 175 people.
- Ottawa Bylaw handed out nearly two dozen verbal warnings but no tickets on the Rideau Canal Skateway this past weekend.
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 38 new cases on Sunday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 13,708
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 34.0
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.6 per cent (Feb. 1 – 7)
- Reproduction Number: 1.12 (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.
- The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at McNabb Community Centre closes at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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 under stay-at-home order for one more week, but Renfrew, Kingston, Belleville reopen Wednesday
The Ontario stay-at-home order has been extended until after Family Day for most of Ontario, including Ottawa.
Nearly all public health units in the region will remain under a stay-at-home order until Feb. 16, at which point they will be moved back into the province's colour-coded reopening framework at the appropriate level. This means all current restrictions will remain in place for one more week.
Ontario's state of emergency will be allowed to expire today.
Three local health regions, however, will be reopening at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. The Renfrew County and District Health Unit, Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health, and Hastings Prince Edward Public Health will move to the "Green-Prevent" level of Ontario's COVID-19 framework, which will allow many businesses to reopen but still limits private gatherings to a maximum of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, provided physical distancing is possible.
Active cases drop but averages are on the rise
The number of known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa fell on Monday after rising over the weekend, but Ottawa Public Health says other trends are still on the rise.
OPH reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths in Ottawa on Monday.
Ottawa has been seeing a steady decrease in case counts and weekly averages for the past several weeks, but there has been a slight increase in the seven-day average of cases per 100,000 residents and in the estimated reproduction number in the past two days. The figures still have Ottawa in the "Orange-Restrict" level under Ontario's colour coded framework meaning, should these levels be maintained for another week, that's where Ottawa will likely end up when the stay-at-home order is lifted on Feb. 16.
School rapid testing blitz finds eight cases out of 175 tests
Ottawa Public Health says a rapid testing blitz of local school students and their families turned up several presumptive cases of COVID-19 in people with no symptoms.
OPH tested 175 people on Saturday and Sunday who had no symptoms and no known high-risk exposure to COVID-19. Eight results came back positive.
Rapid testing results must still be confirmed by a lab, but those eight individuals are now isolating while they await confirmation of their test results.
The 8 positive results out of 175 tests would indicate a 4.5 per cent positivty rate, higher than the broader city's average of 1.6 per cent in the last week.
An OPH report last week found that most COVID-19 transmission in students did not happen in schools, but noted that testing levels dropped in the fall, which means some transmission likely went undetected.
Two dozen warnings but no tickets as Bylaw patrols Rideau Canal Skateway
Ottawa Bylaw issued nearly two dozen verbal warnings but no tickets to skaters on the Rideau Canal Skateway this past weekend.
Bylaw officers were out enforcing public health guidelines on the world's largest skating rink Friday through Sunday. All 7.8 km of the skateway are available for skating, but snack stands and fire pits have been removed because of COVID-19.
In a statement to CTV News, Director of Bylaw and Regulatory Services Roger Chapman said 22 verbal warnings were given related to gatherings and one was given to people playing hockey on the ice.
