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

Fast Facts:

  • The city of Ottawa will unveil details today on how people 80 and older can register to receive the COVID-19 vaccine
  • Ottawa's active COVID-19 case count is above 500 for the first time in nearly a month
  • Ontario surpasses 300,000 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic
  • Algonquin College cancels all on-campus events until the end of August due to COVID-19

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

  • New COVID-19 cases: 55 new cases on Sunday
  • Total COVID-19 cases: 14,705
  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 33.8
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.0 per cent (Feb. 19 to Feb. 25)
  • Reproduction Number: 0.98 (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.

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

New details will be released Monday on Ottawa's plan to vaccinate people over 80

Mayor Jim Watson says "this is a big week for us in Ottawa" in the fight against COVID-19.

At 1 p.m., the city will announce how eligible residents living in seven communities can book an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. On Friday, people over 80 living in high-risk neighbourhoods will begin receiving the vaccine during pop-up clinics.

According to the city, only residents who were born in or before 1941, or who are adult recipients of chronic home care, and who live in the following communities will be able to book appointments:

  • Emerald Woods
  • Heatherington
  • Ledbury
  • Heron Gate
  • Ridgemont
  • Riverview
  • Sawmill Creek

Watson tells CTV News Ottawa that residents will need to enter their health card information and postal code into the booking system to prove they're eligible to receive the vaccine.

Ottawa COVID-19 vaccine

Active COVID-19 cases in Ottawa back above 500, but city holding steady in 'orange' zone

Ottawa Public Health reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Sunday, and no new deaths linked to the virus.

Since the first case of COVID-19 on March 11, there have been 14,705 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 439 deaths.

Ottawa's active cases rose above 500 on Sunday, the first time the number has been that high since Feb 2. There are 504 active cases of COVID-19 in the community.

 

More than 300,000 COVID-19 cases logged in Ontario since beginning of pandemic

Ontario marked a grim milestone on Sunday.

Public Health Ontario reported the province has logged more than 300,000 cases of COVID-19 since January 2020.

There were 1,062 new cases of COVID-19 across Ontario on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases of the virus to 300,816.

A total of 283,344 people have recovered since the start of the pandemic.

More than 6,900 Ontarians have died due to COVID-19.

Ontario COVID-19 cases

Algonquin cancels all on-campus events until end of August, eyes virtual learning through fall term

There will be no on-campus events at Algonquin College until at least September, while the college is also preparing to focus on virtual learning through the fall term.

In a letter to students and faculty, President and CEO Claude Brule says the college has decided to extend the cancellation of all on-campus events until Aug. 31.

"Public health officials continue to underscore the high-risk associated with large gatherings, and we want to give everyone advanced notice so people can plan accordingly."

On Feb. 17, Algonquin told students and faculty that the current model of limited on-campus and primarily remote course delivery will continue through the spring and fall terms.

Algonquin College