OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Ottawa police officers will start receiving COVID-19 vaccines today.
- The city has released a list of neighbourhoods next in line for vaccination popup clinics for seniors.
- Some key COVID-19 metrics in Ottawa are heading back toward the "red' zone.
- The Ontario government said it won't administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone over 65.
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 54 new cases on Tuesday.
- Total COVID-19 cases: 14,824
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 37.0
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.7 per cent (Feb. 21 to Feb. 27)
- 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 police officers next in line for COVID-19 vaccines
The head of Ottawa's COVID-19 vaccination rollout says frontline Ottawa cops will be getting COVID-19 vaccines starting Wednesday.
Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA's "Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron", Emergency and Protective Services General Manager Anthony Di Monte said the rollout of the vaccine to local police officers is just getting underway.
The head of the Ottawa Police Association, Matt Skof, told CTV News Ottawa they will prioritize patrol officers first, but he'd like to see a few other officers added to the list, including special constables and dispatchers.
Neighbourhoods next in line for vaccine popup clinics
Ottawa Public Health has released a list of the neighbourhoods that will be next in line to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
On Monday, the city opened up vaccination appointments to residents 80 years of age or older and to adult recipients of chronic home-care in the Riverview, Emerald Woods, Sawmill Creek, Heron Gate, Heatherington, Ledbury, and Ridgemont neighbourhoods.
The vaccines will be administered at temporary popup clinics in these neighbouroods.
In a memo sent late Tuesday afternoon, Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Vera Etches, laid out a list of other high-priority neighbourhoods where vaccination clinics will pop up.
Hospitalizations up, active cases down, some metrics inch toward "red"
Ottawa Public Health says 54 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person has died
The new data from Ottawa Public Health shows a total of 14,824 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the city since the first case was confirmed nearly one year ago. Since the pandemic began, 441 residents of Ottawa have died.
The number of people with known active cases of COVID-19 fell slightly on Tuesday, but that figure remains above 500. The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 increased Tuesday. The weekly per capita rate of new infections is also on the rise, as is the estimated reproduction number. The testing positivty rate remains below 2 per cent. Ottawa's key indicators remain within the "orange-restrict" level.
Ontario won't give AstraZeneca vaccine to residents 65 or older
Ontario will limit the AstraZeneca vaccine to people under the age of 65 on the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee for Immunization (NACI), Ontario’s Health Minister confirmed, but the province is still finalizing the plan for who will be prioritized for that shot.
Christine Elliott also said the province is looking for guidance from the NACI on delaying the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by up to 16 weeks in an effort to dramatically expand the number of people receiving their initial inoculation, and suggested those recommendations will be the final key Ontario needs to unlock its plan.
The federal government announced 300,000 doses have been shipped from the Serum Institute of India -- putting Ontario’s per capita share at roughly 114,000 doses – all of which expire on Apr. 2.
-- With files from CTV's Queen's Park Bureau Chief Colin D'Mello
