OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Ottawa's COVID-19 incidence rate moves into red zone territory following 94 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday
- INTERACTIVE TIMELINE: 365 days of COVID-19 in Ottawa
- Eight Ottawa businesses facing charges following COVID-19 enforcement blitz
- Seven Ontario residents fined $1,550 each after police break-up illegal gathering in Chelsea, Que.
- Free rides available to COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Pembroke and Petawawa
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 94 new cases on Saturday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 15,494
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 40.1
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.2 per cent (Mar. 5 to Mar. 11)
- Reproduction Number: 1.09 (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.
Vaccine eligibility screening tool:
To check and see if you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa, click here.
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
Ottawa sees highest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases since Jan. 23
Ottawa Public Health reported 94 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, the highest one-day increase in new cases in seven weeks.
The 94 new cases of COVID-19 pushed Ottawa's COVID-19 incidence rate to 40.1 cases per 100,000 people. The threshold to move into the "red-control" level in Ontario's COVID-19 reopening framework is 40 cases per 100,000 a week.
One new death linked to the virus was also reported on Saturday.
Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020, there have been 15,494 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 447 deaths.
Eight Ottawa businesses facing charges following COVID-19 enforcement blitz
Ottawa Bylaw Services officers charged eight Ottawa businesses for violating COVID-19 rules last weekend, including two restaurants.
Officers visited businesses across the city during the weekend of March 6 and 7 to ensure establishments are following the rules of Ottawa's Temporary Mandatory Mask Bylaw and provincial orders during the pandemic.
In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Bylaw Services Director Roger Chapman said officers issued 15 fines to eight businesses.
"Officers in plan clothes discovered some businesses were beyond the opening hours, not adhering to public health guidelines and hosting large gatherings," said Chapman.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario told CTV News Ottawa Saturday afternoon that Tosca Restaurant and Connor's Irish Pub and Eatery in Orleans were charged during the Ottawa Bylaw Services blitz. A spokesperson says the AGCO is now proceeding with a "regulatory and administrative" review of the two establishments.
Seven Ontario residents fined $1,550 each after police break-up gathering at Chelsea AirBNB
Seven Ontario residents are facing $1,550 fines each and had to drive home in the middle of the night after police discovered an illegal gathering at an AirBNB property in Chelsea, Que.
The MRC des Collines de l'Outaouais police responded to a complaint about a gathering on Chem. Hogan in Cantley at 1:20 a.m. Saturday.
Police say officers found seven people staying at the rented property, which had been rented through AirBNB by one of the people at the gathering.
Free rides available to COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Pembroke and Petawawa
A Pembroke business is covering the cost of transporting seniors to and from COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Pembroke and Petawawa.
"I think transportation in our area is an issue at anytime; there is no public transit," says Kelley Whitman-McKie, owner of McKie Pools and Spa. “We just wanted to do what we could do to eliminate any barrier for someone to be vaccinated.”
Whitman-McKie recruited the services of Petawawa Taxi, Danny’s Taxi in Pembroke, and Pembroke Handi-Bus.
