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

Fast Facts:

  • Ottawa bans sledding at Mooney's Bay Hill after large crowds gather at popular winter attraction
  • Ontario plans weekend inspection blitz targeting Ottawa's big box stores.
  • Ottawa Public Health reported 87 cases of COVID-19 on Friday, positivity rate drops to 3.2 per cent
  • Ottawa hospitals top doctors urge people to stay home so hospitals can continue delivering care
  • Ottawa Public Health shows how one person attending a family gathering and work led to 15 COVID-19 cases in Ottawa

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

  • New COVID-19 cases: 87 new cases on Friday
  • Total COVID-19 cases: 12,761
  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 69.7
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 3.2 per cent (Jan. 15 - Jan. 21)
  • Reproduction Number: 0.88 (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: Open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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

Ottawa bans sledding at Mooney's Bay Hill after large crowds gather at popular winter attraction

A popular sledding hill at Mooney's Bay is now closed because of overcrowding this winter.

In a statement late Friday afternoon, the City of Ottawa announced "sledding and tobogganing are prohibited at Mooney's Bay Hill."

"Effective today, the city will increase patrols and enforce the no sledding or tobogganing rules at Mooney's Bay Hill."

The city says Mooney's Bay Hill has been the scene of "consistent large crowds, numbering in the hundreds" since the start of January.

The Mooney's Bay parking lot will be limited to only people taking part in cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in the park.

toboggan

Ontario plans weekend inspection blitz targeting Ottawa's big box stores

Ottawa's big box retailers will receive a visit from provincial inspectors this weekend

"We're going into all types of big box stores in Ottawa and area this weekend, including the Costco's, the Walmart's, the big box grocery store chains," said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

"To ensure that health and safety protocols are being followed. They know the rules."

Under Ontario's lockdown measures, discount and big box retailers are allowed to open for in-person sales if they meet the following conditions:

  • Sell groceries to the public
  • Limit the number of persons occupying any room that is open to the public in the business to not exceed 25 per cent capacity of the particular room
  • Curbside pick-up and delivery permitted

Provincial inspectors found 76 businesses were violating safety measures in the Toronto and Hamilton Area last weekend.

Costco
Ottawa sees double-digit increase in COVID-19 cases on Friday; positivity rate drops to 3.2 per cent

For the fourth time in five days, health officials reported less than 100 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day in Ottawa.

Ottawa Public Health reported 87 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, along with one new death linked to the virus.

Since the first case of COVID-19 on March 11, there have been 12,761 cases of COVID-19, including 416 deaths.

 

Ottawa hospitals top doctors urge people to stay home, stop in-person socializing so hospitals can continue delivering care

The top doctors at Ottawa's hospitals are encouraging everyone to follow the stay at home orders to help reduce COVID-19 transmission and allow hospitals to continue delivering care during the pandemic.

The medical chiefs of staff at the Ottawa Hospital, the Queensway-Carleton Hospital, the Montfort Hospital, CHEO, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and the Royal released a joint statement on Friday, saying, "Stay home. Stay safe, Save lives."

"If COVID-19 cases rise too high, there is a risk that our ICUs will begin to reach capacity," said the statement. "This puts in jeopardy all the post-surgical care they provide. No room in our ICUs means scheduled surgeries must be delayed."

According to the statement, more than 17,000 people across Ottawa are currently waiting for surgery.

Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus

How one person attending a family gathering and work led to 15 COVID-19 cases in Ottawa

Ottawa Public Health is illustrating how one person going to work and attending a family gathering resulted in 15 cases of COVID-19 and forced 40 people to self-isolate

On Twitter, the health unit said one person with COVID-19 went to work before developing symptoms of COVID-19.

"Two days later, after mild symptoms developed, they attended a family gathering and had a friend over," said OPH.

Within two weeks, 15 people tested positive for COVID-19 and 40 individuals who were identified as high risk contacts needed to self-isolate.

Ottawa Public Health