OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Ottawa recorded more than 200 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, but more than a third of the city's adults have received at least one shot of vaccine
- The city of Ottawa is planning to target all adults in high-risk neighbourhoods for vaccinations
- Doug Ford defends Ontario's sick leave program after experts decry it as 'not enough'
- A former Montreal Canadiens star surprised ICU workers in Ottawa with some free lunch on Friday
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 206 cases on Thursday
- Total COVID-19 cases: 24,188
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 127.7
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 7.6 per cent (April 23 to April 29)
- Reproduction Number: 0.92 (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 Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 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 and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (testing only)
- COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Howard Darwin Centennial Arena: Open daily 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
- Southwest Ottawa COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Richmond Memorial Community Centre: Open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 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
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
More than 200 new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa on Friday
Ottawa Public Health reported more than 200 new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa on Friday, a day after the city reported its lowest new case count in weeks.
The health unit is reporting 206 new coronavirus cases in Ottawa on Friday. On Thursday, Ottawa Public Health recorded 118 new cases, the lowest such number since April 1.
The city's daily case counts continue to oscillate above and below 200 as the health care system battles a punishing third wave of the virus, and with Ontario's stay-at-home order now more than three weeks old.
The city of Ottawa is planning to target all adults in high-risk neighbourhoods for vaccinations
With Ottawa's COVID-19 supply set to increase, the city is poised to step up efforts to vaccinate people in the neighbourhoods hardest hit by the pandemic.
Ottawa Public Health’s plan to vaccinate all adults in high-risk communities will use a “targeted approach,” including pop-up clinics and other outreach measures, officials say.
These neighbourhoods will be the first areas of the city where everyone 18 and older will be eligible for shots.
Doug Ford defends Ontario's sick leave program after experts decry it as 'not enough'
Ontario Premier Doug Ford defended his three-day sick leave program at a virtual news conference Friday held while in isolation after experts with the province’s science advisory table blatantly said it was not enough curb the spread of COVID-19.
The science table presented the latest COVID-19 modelling data on Thursday. The data showed that without stronger measures such as “effective sick pay,” a further shortlist of essential workplaces, lower mobility and more vaccinations, daily cases would remain above 2,000 in June and the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care could remain around the 800 mark throughout the next month.
P.K. Subban surprises Ottawa hospital workers with free lunch
Frontline hospital staff in Ottawa received a generous surprise from an NHL star on Friday.
P.K. Subban, the former Montreal Canadiens defenceman now with the New Jersey Devils, sent lunch over to the ICU staff at the Ottawa Hospital Civic campus through his charitable foundation.
