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

Fast Facts:

  • Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches says it's "too soon" to celebrate after 11 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Tuesday
  • Ontario considering extended school closure as winter break approaches
  • Mayor Jim Watson says Ottawa Bylaw broke up two large parties in Ottawa last weekend
  • Ontario Provincial Police say a 22-year-old is facing charges under the Quarantine Act for falsely claiming they had COVID-19 to get out of a traffic ticket

Testing:

Who should get a test?

Ottawa Public Health says there are four 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.

Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:

The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week. Appointments are required in most cases but LIMITED walk-up capacity is available.

To book a test for an adult, click here.

The CHEO Assessment Centre at Brewer Arena – 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week. Testing is available by appointment only.

To book a test for a child under the age of 18, click here.

The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at 595 Moodie Dr. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The centre offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.

To book an appointment, click here. 

The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at 1485 Heron Rd. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The centre offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.

To book an appointment, click here.

The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centre at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex – 1585 Tenth Line Rd. is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It offers an appointment with a physician (including appropriate tests) for residents who are experiencing more significant symptoms like fever, difficulty breathing or a sore throat, or testing only for residents with mild symptoms or others who qualify for testing under current guidelines.

To book an appointment, click here.

The COVID-19 drive-thru assessment centre at 300 Coventry Road is CLOSED. The new COVID-19 drive-thru assessment centre at the National Arts Centre opens on Thursday.

To book an appointment, click here.

The Centretown Community Health Centre at 420 Cooper St. offers COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. To book an appointment, call 613-789-1500.

The Sandy Hill Community Health Centre at 221 Nelson St. offers COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday.  Click here to book an appointment or call 613-789-1500

The Somerset Community Health Centre at 55 Eccles St. will offer COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday. To book an appointment, call 613-789-1500.

See here for a list of other testing sites in Ottawa and eastern Ontario.

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 swallow, 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 lowest one-day increase in new COVID-19 cases since Sept. 1

Ottawa Public Health reported the lowest one-day spike in new COVID-19 cases in Ottawa in over two months.

Eleven new cases of COVID-19 were announced on Tuesday, along with two new deaths linked to COVID-19.

The eleven cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa is the lowest one-day increase in cases since Sept. 1, when eight new cases of COVID-19 were reported.

"I don't think we can make too much out of 11; actually it could be a lot higher tomorrow, I would expect that on average we'll probably be similar to where we were last week," said Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's Medical Officer of Health.

"I talked about we're turning the curve, but it's not dropping rapidly. What makes me think we're more in a stable situation rather than really clear decline that's going to get us to really nice low levels of COVID-19 in the community is that the hospitalizations are still pretty stable."

 

Ontario considering extended school closure as winter break approaches

The Ontario government is considering an extended school closure over the holidays.

Education Minister Stephen Lecce hinted Tuesday that there may be some changes in January, but did not release any further details.

"We have to do whatever it takes to protect the gains we've made in the ministry, within our education ecosystem,” Lecce told reporters. "I am seriously looking at solutions that may include some period out of class that allows for us to protect the gains we made in this province going into the second year. And we will be able to report more substantively on that soon to give parents notice that understandably they deserve."

Classroom

Ottawa Bylaw breaks up two large parties in Ottawa over the weekend: Mayor Watson

Ottawa Bylaw is investigating social gatherings of more than 10 people in private homes across Ottawa last weekend.

Mayor Jim Watson tells Newstalk 580 CFRA that Ottawa Bylaw broke-up two house parties over the weekend, with 20 to 25 people at each party.

"That's the kind of stupidity that angers me, that’s where the bulk of the transmissions are taking place, if we exclude the tragedy of the long-term care homes; it's these house parties with unrelated people," said Watson on Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa at Work with Leslie Roberts.

"The message doesn't seem to be getting through, particularly to some young people who think they're invincible."

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Bylaw and Regulatory Services Director Roger Chapman says, "There are still ongoing investigations from this past weekend that could result in charges."

Driver charged for falsely claiming to have COVID-19 to avoid traffic ticket: Ontario police

Ontario Provincial Police say a 22-year-old driver is facing charges under the Quarantine Act for falsely claiming they had COVID-19 in an attempt to avoid a traffic ticket.

Officers stopped the G1 licenced driver of a truck on Highway 401 in Napanee, near Kingston, on Tuesday. An OPP spokesperson tells CTV News Ottawa the vehicle was stopped because of unauthorized licence plates.

In a message on Twitter, the OPP said the driver recanted the COVID-19 claim when the officer called paramedics to the scene.

The driver is facing charges under the Highway Traffic Act. The OPP tells CTV News Ottawa the driver is also charged with Obstruction of an officer under the Quarantine Act for making a false or misleading statement to an officer.