COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for July 29, 2021
Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford promises a "very comprehensive" back-to-school plan will be unveiled next week
- Eight new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday
- Ontario to ramp up surgical and medical procedures to clear backlog
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: Eight new cases on Wednesday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 27,793
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 4.2
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 0.7 per cent (seven day average)
- Reproduction Number: 0.90 (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 are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort travelling out of country for medical treatment;
- 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
Ontario premier says 'very comprehensive' back-to-school plan will be revealed next week
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is promising a "very comprehensive" back-to-school plan will be released next week.
With the start of the new school year less than six weeks away, Ford said he thinks students need to be back to school and want to get back to school.
The plan will include safety protocols for students and teachers.
Ford added he has "every confidence in the world" the province will be ready for September.
FILE - AN empty teacher's desk is pictured at the front of a empty classroom at Mcgee Secondary school in Vancouver on Sept. 5, 2014. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)
Eight new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa
Ottawa Public Health reported eight new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday, as the number of active cases continued to rise.
Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020, there have been 27,793 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 593 deaths.
The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa is at the highest level since July 9. There are 49 cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa.
Ontario to ramp up surgical and medical procedures to 115 per cent to clear backlog
The Ontario government is spending $324 million to clear a backlog of surgical and medical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Surgical Recovery Plan will see surgical and procedural output operating at 110 to 115 per cent capacity.
The plan will see 67,000 additional surgeries and 135,000 additional diagnostic imaging hours added to the system in an attempt to reduce wait times, improve access to care and support the government’s claims to end hallway healthcare, the Ministry of Health said Wednesday.
Ontario hopes to clear the backlog by spring 2022.
The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus on Oct. 13, 2020. (Katie Griffin / CTV News Ottawa)
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