OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- A woman in her 20s became the youngest person in Ottawa to die from COVID-19.
- Quebec Premier Francois Legault announced that emergency restrictions in Gatineau will come to an end Monday.
- Ontario will be pausing first the rollout of first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
- New COVID-19 cases: 67 cases on Tuesday.
- Total COVID-19 cases: 25,513
- COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 75.3
- Positivity rate in Ottawa: 6.4 per cent (May 3 to May 9)
- Reproduction Number: 0.88 (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 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 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 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (testing only)
- Southwest Ottawa COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Richmond Memorial Community Centre: Open Sunday, Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12 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
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
Woman in her 20s becomes youngest Ottawa resident to die of COVID-19
Ottawa Public Health is reporting the death of a woman in her 20s from COVID-19, making her the youngest person in the city to succumb to the virus.
The death was included in Tuesday's COVID-19 dashboard update.
In a reponse to CTV News Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health would not provide any further details about the woman, citing medical privacy, but said her death is a reminder that the pandemic is still putting people at risk.
We mourn all those who have died of COVID-19. Every death is tragedy. This is a sad day and a reminder of the impacts on the family and friends of the people who have died during the pandemic," the statement said.
Ottawa Public Health reported 67 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, the lowest daily case count since March 23, when 64 cases were announced. Two new deaths were announced Tuesday.
There have been 25,513 total lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began and 527 residents have died.
Some COVID-19 restrictions lifting in Gatineau next week
Residents in Gatineau and parts of the Outaouais region of Quebec still under strict COVID-19 measures will soon see an easing of restrictions.
Premier François Legault announced Tuesday that the special emergency measures in Gatineau, Pontiac, and the MRC des Collines will be lifted Monday, allowing high schools and some non-essential businesses to reopen, including cinemas, boutiques and stores, and personal and esthetic care services.
The nightly curfew will also begin at 9:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. as the region moves to the red zone.
On Tuesday, Legault thanked residents for their efforts.
"In Outaouais, the population has succeeded in turning the situation around," he said. "Thank you to all the people from Outaouais for their efforts over these past weeks."
Legault also urged residents of Ontario to remain in their home province and not visit stores in the Outaouais region.
"We also ask our police officers to verify the arrival of people from Ontario. It's important that they follow their government's rule and that they don't go to stores in Outaouais."
Ontario pausing first doses of AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot concerns
Ontario will no longer offer first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine due to an increase in reports of rare blood clots.
The announcement was made by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Chief Health Protection and Emergency Preparedness Officer Dr. Jessica Hopkins, the risk of thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) associated with the vaccine in Ontario is one in 60,000.
Hopkins later clarified that as of May 8, eight Ontarians have developed blood clots related to the vaccine.
