COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for June 2, 2021

OTTAWA -

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

Fast Facts:

• Ontario's stay-at-home order has ended, but many restrictions remain in effect.
• Sources tell CTV News the Ontario government is considering keeping schools closed until September.
• Ottawa recorded fewer than 40 new COVID-19 cases for a second day in a row on Tuesday.
• Issues persisted Tuesday with the provincial COVID-19 vaccine booking system, keeping future appointments in Ottawa paused.
• Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization now says people who received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine can take a dose of Pfizer or Moderna as their second shot.

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

• New COVID-19 cases: 39 on Tuesday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 27,097
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days):  39.9
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 4.7 per cent (May 24 to May 30)
• Reproduction Number: 0.95 (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 6 p.m.
• The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Open Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (testing only)
• 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.  Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (testing only)
• 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 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 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

The stay-at-home order in Ontario has ended, but not much is changing yet

Ontario's stay-at-home order, in place since April 8, has officially ended.

However, a number of emergency measures remain in effect.

It will no longer be illegal to leave your home for non-essential reasons, but indoor gatherings remain against the law.

Restaurants and bars remain closed to in-person dining until Step One of the province's new reopening framework kicks in, scheduled for June 14.

Barber shops and salons remain closed until Step Two, which is slated for July.

The "emergency brake" that was put in place before the stay-at-home order was enacted will remain in effect until Step One begins.

(Photo by Mohammad Fahim on Unsplash)

Schools in Ontario could remain closed until the fall

Sources tell CTV News Toronto that the Ontario government is considering keeping schools closed for in-person learning for the remainder of the school year.

The province's chief medical officer of health and a number of pediatric hospitals and children's advoacy groups have strongly urged the province to reopen schools for in-person classes for the last few weeks of the school year.

But sources say the government is concerned that, even on a regional basis, reopening classrooms for the final few weeks could harm the progress the province has made on stamping down the third wave. The decision must still be finalized by cabinet and is subject to change. It's unclear when the province will make a formal announcement. On Monday, Premier Doug Ford said he'd have an announcement on schools "in a day or two."

Case counts remain low in Ottawa

Ottawa Public Health reported fewer than 40 new COVID-19 cases for the second day in a row on Tuesday.

The public health unit said that 39 more people had tested positive for COVID-19, following a case count of 39 more positive tests on Monday.

This, as Ontario reported its lowest daily case count province-wide since last fall, with 699 cases province-wide. The last time it was this low was in October 2020.

One more person died due to COVID-19, OPH said, bringing the city's pandemic death toll to 571 residents. Sixty-four people in Ottawa died from COVID-19 in May.

 

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram

Vaccine booking issues continue in Ottawa

The City of Ottawa says bookings for COVID-19 vaccine appointments remain paused because of an issue with the provincial system.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa Tuesday afternoon, Anthony Di Monte, the city's general manager of emergency and protective services, said staff are working to resolve the issue and, should any appointments need to be rescheduled, people will be contacted directly.

A spokesperson for Health Minister Christine Elliott's office told CTV News Ottawa on Moday that there were some overbookings because of the glitch.

There is no timeline for when the issue is expected to be resolved.

NACI says you can mix and match COVID-19 vaccines

Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization announced new guidelines Tuesday allowing Canadians to receive a different COVID-19 vaccine as a second dose.

NACI said people who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine can safely receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine if a second dose of AstraZeneca is unavailable.

Patients can also mix-and-match first and second doses of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines, if necessary.

Despite the new guidelines, Canada's chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says Canadians should try and get a second dose of the same vaccine as their first whenever possible.

One-shot doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are prepared at a clinic targeting immigrant community members on March 25 in Los Angeles, California. (CNN)