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

Fast Facts:

  • Ontario reports record 1,800 new COVID-19 cases on Friday; 55 cases in Ottawa
  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada is aiming to immunize the majority of the population with the COVID-19 vaccine by September
  • Premier Doug Ford says the "clock is ticking", calling on federal government to provide clear timelines for COVID-19 vaccine
  • Santa Claus is coming to Orleans for a drive-thru parade during the COVID-19 pandemic

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 the National Arts Centre. The centre is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

To book an appointment, click here.

The COVID-19 Assessment Centre at the McNabb Community Centre, located at 180 Percy Street, is open Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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 or book an appointment online

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 or book an appointment online.

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

Ontario reports record 1,800 new COVID-19 cases; 55 new cases in Ottawa

Ottawa Public Health reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, the same day Ontario set a new record for cases of novel coronavirus on a single day.

The 55 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa is the largest one-day spike in new cases since Nov. 20, when 77 new cases were reported.

One new death linked to COVID-19 in Ottawa was also announced Friday.

Since the first case of COVID-19 on March 11, there have been 8,333 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 373 deaths.

Public Health Ontario reported 1,855 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario on Friday. There are 517 cases in Peel Region, 494 in Toronto and 189 in York Region.

 

Top general to lead vaccine rollout, aims to immunize majority by September: PM

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wants to vaccinate more than half of all Canadians with the COVID-19 vaccine by September, 2021.

"Canadians can expect that if all goes well, to have more than half of us vaccinated by next September,” said the prime minister on Friday.

 “I can understand the eagerness with which people want to know, ‘When is this going to be over? When are we going to get the vaccines?’ What we can say is, we are working extremely hard to deliver as quickly and as safely as possible… if all goes according to plan, we should be able to have the majority of Canadians vaccinated by next September."

Trudeau has appointed former NATO commander Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin to lead the national vaccine distribution effort.

Justin Trudeau

'The clock is ticking': Ontario calls on federal government to provide clear timelines for COVID-19 vaccines

While the prime minister plans to vaccinate more than half of Canadians with the COVID-19 vaccine by September, Premier Doug Ford is calling for clear guidelines on when the vaccine will arrive.

"When you look at a province the size of Ontario, with as many variables as we're facing, without proper planning or the proper information, this can be a logistical nightmare," said the premier on Friday.

“That's why, as we continue planning, we need certainty from the federal government. We need to know which kind of vaccines we'll be getting, because each vaccine will come with unique requirements and potential challenges. And we also need to know how many vaccines we will receive each week. We need a clear line of sight into the timelines of the shipment."

Ford said the "clock is ticking" and Ontario needs a timeline to plan for vaccine distribution.

Doug Ford, Rick Hillier

Santa's Parade of Lights holding drive-thru event in Orleans on Dec. 5

Santa Claus is coming to Orleans, and you will be able to wave hello from the comfort of your vehicle during a COVID-19 edition of Santa's Parade of Lights. 

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the popular parade in Orleans this year. Now, organizers have announced plans for a static display with a drive-thru concept on Dec. 5 at the OC Transpo Park and Ride at Place d'Orleans.

Members of the public are invited to drive through the Santa Parade of Lights site at no charge.

Santa will be on his float to wave hello, an Ottawa Fire Services ladder truck will be on-site holding up an LED Christmas tree, and volunteers will be collecting donations of toys or cash.

Toys and money collected during the Santa Parade of Lights drive-thru event will support the Salvation Army's Toy Mountain campaign.

Santa Parade of Lights