OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is being cautious with estimates for COVID-19 vaccine distribution
- Ontario sets a single day record for COVID-19 cases on Thursday; 52 new cases in Ottawa
- 80 inmates at Joyceville Institution near Kingston have tested positive for COVID-19
- Ottawa Public Health receives $4.7 million to open a COVID-19 isolation centre in Ottawa
- Santa Claus deemed an essential service provider in Ontario, clearing the way for him to visit on Christmas Eve
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa:
- New cases: 52 new cases on Thursday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 9,211
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 28.9
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.3 per cent (Dec 9-15)
- Reproduction Number: 0.97 (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
PM says feds being cautious with estimates, but vaccine timeline could accelerate
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that "it's possible" that Canada will be able to accelerate the timeline for vaccinating all Canadians with the COVID-19 vaccine.
The federal government has previously said that all Canadians who want to be vaccinated will receive the shot between September and December of 2021.
In a year-end interview with CTV's Question Period, Trudeau told host Evan Solomon that is a conservative estimate.
"Certainly it's possible. I mean, that's one of the reasons why we set out to set up the best range of vaccines we possibly could, and secure way more doses than Canada would technically need because we knew that some vaccines would be faster, some vaccines might be more effective or less effective than others,” Trudeau said
“Things could happen quicker, things could also happen slower if there are less efficient vaccines, or production challenges in the companies that are delivering them."
You can watch the full interview on CTV's Question Period Sunday at 11 a.m.
Ontario sets record for most COVID-19 cases in a single day; 52 new cases in Ottawa
On the day Ontario set a record for highest number of new cases of COVID-19, 52 more Ottawa residents tested positive for COVID-19.
Ottawa Public Health reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa 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 9,211 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 388 deaths.
Across Ontario, there were 2,432 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. It was the third straight day Ontario has logged more than 2,000 cases of novel coronavirus.
COVID-19 outbreak at Joyceville Institution near Kingston, 80 inmates test positive
Eighty inmates at the Joyceville Institution have tested positive for COVID-19, while eight cases at two other institutions are believed to be linked to the prison near Kingston.
In a statement to CTV News, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) says all employees and inmates will receive medical masks and face shields at the medium-security institution.
Ottawa Public Health receives $4.7 million to open COVID-19 isolation centre
A new isolation centre will be opening in Ottawa for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or been exposed to the virus.
Minister of Infrastructure Catherine McKenna and Minister of Middle Class Prosperity Mona Fortier announced $4.7 million in federal funding for Ottawa Public Health to set up a voluntary isolation site.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches would not say where the new isolation site would be located in Ottawa, citing privacy and safe issues.
Santa Claus is coming to town. Ontario deems him an essential service provider
Santa Claus has the green light to visit Ottawa and eastern Ontario this Christmas Eve.
Premier Doug Ford deemed Santa Claus an essential service provider, allowing him to move freely through the province to deliver gifts.
Last week, Mayor Jim Watson and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches granted Santa a COVID-19 travel exemption to visit Ottawa.
