OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- 3,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in Ottawa on Monday, vaccinations begin on Tuesday at the Ottawa Hospital
- 54 cases of COVID-19 linked to Mennonite community in Whitewater region of Ottawa Valley
- 31 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, one new death linked to the virus
- Ontario will announce stricter COVID-19 restrictions for some regions on Friday
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa:
- New cases: 31 cases on Thursday
- Total COVID-19: 8,894
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 29.0
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.4 per cent (Nov. 27 to Dec. 3)
- Reproduction Number: 0.95 (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
COVID-19 vaccines to be administered in Ottawa starting Tuesday
Three-thousand doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will arrive in Ottawa on Monday, and will be administered to health care workers on Tuesday.
Premier Doug Ford announced that the Ottawa Hospital will be one of two sites to receive the first doses of COVID-19 when they arrive in Canada.
Health care workers who are providing care in long-term care homes and other high-risk settings will be the first in Ottawa to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
"Ottawa has been selected in part to test and validate provincial distribution networks, as well as in recognition of the challenges the region has faced with certain long-term care home outbreaks," said Ford in a statement.
54 cases of COVID-19 linked to outbreak in Mennonite community in Whitewater region of Ottawa Valley
The Renfrew County and District Health Unit says there are 54 cases of COVID-19 in a Mennonite community in Whitewater region.
"This community is very closely knit and they have a lot of communal activity," says Renfrew County’s Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Robert Cushman. "So you can see what happens when COVID gets in there and into a community like this how rapidly it can spread."
The Renfrew County and District Health Unit says a visitor from the Kitchener-Waterloo region brought the virus to the region. Dr. Cushman also said mask use within the community was “mixed."
Ontario sets new one-day record for COVID-19 cases; 31 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa
On the day Ontario set a record for highest number of new cases of COVID-19 in a single day, 31 more Ottawa residents tested positive for COVID-19.
Ottawa Public Health reported 31 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, along with one new death linked to the virus.
Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, there have been 8,894 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 383 deaths.
Across Ontario, there are 1,983 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario on Thursday.
Ontario will announce stricter COVID-19 restrictions for some regions on Friday, top doctor says
Ontario will announce stricter COVID-19 restrictions for certain regions on Friday.
Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams told reporters on Thursday that, "we will recommend the health units move up in the framework. We will be making some announcements on Friday on what those are."
Williams did not specify which regions will be affected, but did say some health units in the green level will be moved to the yellow level.
