COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for June 27, 2021

Lexie F., 7, plays at a splash pad in Ottawa, Friday, May 21, 2021. The City of Ottawa opened splash pad facilities earlier in the week as temperatures are expected to reach 30C on Friday, but the province's phased reopening plan does not permit them to open until Ontario enters Step 1 in June. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA -

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

Fast Facts:

• Ottawa sees lowest daily COVID-19 case count in 10 months
• The Gatineau Hospital closes its emergency room until Monday afternoon due to a nursing shortage
• COVID-19 testing now available for outbound travellers at two Ottawa clinics

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

• New COVID-19 cases: Six new cases on Saturday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 27,641
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 9.9
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.3 per cent (June 18-24)
• Reproduction Number: 0.586 (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 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.
• 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

Ottawa sees lowest daily COVID-19 case count in 10 months

Ottawa Public Health reported six new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, the lowest one-day increase in new cases since last August.

Two new deaths linked to the virus were also announced.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020, there have been 27,641 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 591 deaths.

Senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Dr. Doug Manuel says the low case numbers are "great news."

"I think we’re doing really well, but in terms of overall numbers I’m not paying as much attention to that as I am the numbers for delta," said Dr. Manuel.

There are 10 confirmed cases of the B.1.617.2 delta variant in Ottawa.

 

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram

Gatineau Hospital closes emergency room until Monday at 4 p.m. due to nursing shortage

The emergency room at the Gatineau Hospital is closed until Monday at 4 p.m. due to a nursing shortage.

"The situation of the lack of nursing manpower with expertise is forcing the closure of the emergency room," said the CISSS de l'Outaouais.

Ambulances will be automatically directed to the Hull Hospital emergency department. Health officials say residents can visit the Hull Hospital and Papineau Hospital emergency room for services.

The Intensive Care Unit at the Gatineau Hospital reopened on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, three days after it was forced to close due to an unexpected shortage of nurses.

$185 COVID-19 test available for outbound travellers at two Ottawa clinics

Ottawa travellers requiring a negative COVID-19 test result prior to domestic or international travel can now be tested at two Ottawa clinics.

For a cost of $185, COVID-19 testing for outbound travel will be offered at the Ray Friel COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre and the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Brewer Park Arena.

To make an appointment at the Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre, you can call 613-288-5353 (Monday to Friday) or make an appointment online. For the COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Brewer Arena, you can email [e-mail]. 

Testing results should be available 48 to 60 hours after the test.

Residents line up outside the Brewer Arena in Ottawa to be tested for COVID-19, Sept. 14, 2020. (Chris Black / CTV News Ottawa)