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COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for July 20, 2021

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OTTAWA -

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

Fast Facts:

  • Fully vaccinated Americans will be allowed entry into Canada starting Aug. 9
  • Ottawa Public Health reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Monday following an uptick in cases over the weekend.
  • The pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in Ottawa was down by 21 per cent last week compared to the week before.
  • River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington is offering to drive constituents to a vaccine clinic to receive their first dose.

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

  • New COVID-19 cases: Two new cases on Monday
  • Total COVID-19 cases: 27,743
  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 1.6
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 0.1 per cent (seven day average)
  • Reproduction Number: 0.74 (seven day average)

Testing:

Who should get a test?

Ottawa Public Health says you can get a COVID-19 test at an assessment centre, care clinic, or community testing site if any of the following apply to you:

  • You are showing COVID-19 symptoms;
  • 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;
  • You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health;
  • You are a resident, a worker or a visitor to long-term care, retirement homes, homeless shelters or other congregate settings (for example: group homes, community supported living, disability-specific communities or congregate settings, short-term rehab, hospices and other shelters);
  • You are a person who identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis;
  • You are a person travelling to work in a remote First Nations, Inuit or Métis community;
  • You received a preliminary positive result through rapid testing;
  • You require testing 72 hours before a scheduled (non-urgent or emergent) surgery (as recommended by your health care provider);
  • You are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort tra­velling out of country for medical treatment;
  • You are an international student that has passed their 14-day quarantine period;
  • You are a farm worker;
  • You are an educator who cannot access pharmacy-testing; or
  • You are in a targeted testing group as outlined in guidance from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

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 Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
  • The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Kemptville) – 15 Campus Drive: Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Centretown Community Health Centre: Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Sandy Hill Community Health Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 pm.
  • Somerset West Community Health Centre: Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday

COVID-19 screening tool:

The COVID-19 screening tool for summer camp children and staff. All campers and staff must complete the COVID-19 School and Childcare screening tool daily.

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

Fully vaccinated Americans can come and visit starting Aug. 9

The Canadian government is starting to ease restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border that have been in place for more than a year.

Starting Aug. 9, American citizens and permanent residents who completed a vaccination series using one of the four COVID-19 vaccines approved in Canada on or before July 26 can cross the border for discretionary purposes without having to quarantine for 14 days.

Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 and unvaccinated dependent children will be able to accompany a fully vaccinated parent, step-parent, or legal guardian without needing to quarantine, but they will have to follow all public health guidelines in the provinces and municipalities they are visiting.

The border has been closed to non-essential travel since March 21, 2020.

The U.S. has not yet announced similar plans to lift restrictions for Canadians.

FILE - The United States border crossing is seen Wednesday, March 18, 2020 in Lacolle, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

Two new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa following weekend bump

Ottawa Public Health said Monday that two more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19 following a slight bump in positive tests over the weekend.

OPH confirmed 12 infections total Saturday and Sunday.

Case counts and weekly averages have been consistently low in Ottawa for the last several days. Last week, Ottawa Public Health reported three days of net zero case counts.

No new deaths were reported in Ottawa on Monday. To date, Ottawa has seen 27,743 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 593 residents have died from the disease. Ottawa hospitals reported zero COVID-19 patients for a fifth straight day.

 

Pace of vaccination slows in Ottawa last week

Following several weeks of record-breaking vaccinations in Ottawa, the pace of new vaccinations slowed last week.

Ottawa Public Health says 104,804 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Ottawa between July 11 and 17, a 21 per cent drop from the week prior, which saw 132,511 doses administered.

The city officials overseeing the rollout expected a slowdown in the pace of vaccinations. Emergency and Protective Services General Manager Anthony Di Monte told reporters last week that the city was looking at the eventual closure of some community clinics that are not seeing a lot of traffic.

To date, 82 per cent of the population of Ottawa 12 and older has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 64 per cent is fully vaccinated, up from 81 per cent and 54 per cent, respectively, as of last Monday.

The COVID-19 immunization clinic at the Eva James Memorial Community Centre in Ottawa. (Jackie Perez / CTV News Ottawa)

Need a lift to a vaccine clinic? One city councillor has you covered

River ward Coun. Riley Brockington is hoping to drive the number of COVID-19 vaccinations even higher in Ottawa.

Brockington tweeted an offer to personally drive any constituents of River Ward who had not received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to and from their appointments.

"Any River Ward resident who has been reluctant to get their first COVID dose, is welcome to contact my office and make arrangements for me to pick you up at your home, take you to your appointment and return you home," he tweeted.

His office number is 613-580-2486.

Brockington says one of the factors he's heard from constituents that keeps them from being vaccinated is mobility.

"I've got some time over the summer, so if getting to a clinic is an issue or if someone just wants to talk about the vaccine, I'm willing to do my part to help get them their vaccine. If all it takes is someone picking them up at their front door, driving them to the clinic and driving them home, I'll do it."

River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington at Ottawa City Hall in Oct. 2020. (FILE/CTV News Ottawa)

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