COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Oct. 15, 2021

The Peace tower is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

OTTAWA -

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

Fast Facts:

• Ontario's proof of vaccination requirement could eventually be made voluntary for businesses: sources
• Eastern Ontario Health Unit sees second-highest number of new COVID cases in Ontario on Thursday
• COVID-19 outbreaks end at two Ottawa schools hit hard by cases

COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):

• New COVID-19 cases: 23 cases on Thursday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 30,382
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 23.3
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.8 per cent (seven-day average)
• Reproduction Number: 0.79 (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 are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort tra­velling out of country for medical treatment;
• 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.

Long-term care staff, caregivers, volunteers and visitors who are fully immunized against COVID-19 are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test before entering or visiting a long-term care home.

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 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The drive-thru assessment closes on Saturday.
• The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Kemptville) – 15 Campus Drive: Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 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

COVID-19 screening tool:

The COVID-19 screening tool for schools in Ottawa and eastern Ontario. All students, teachers and school staff must complete the COVID-19 School screening tool daily.

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

Ontario's proof of vaccination requirement could eventually be made voluntary for businesses: sources

Ontario's proof of vaccination requirements to access non-essential business could eventually be downgraded to a voluntary program.

Sources tell CTV News Toronto the Ford government is working on a post-Step Three strategy that will lift capacity limits on businesses where vaccine certificates are required.

As part of that “phased approach” sources say the government is looking at potentially relaxing mandatory proof of vaccination rules, as long as the province’s pandemic picture continues to improve.

Chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore said he expects Ontario will carry out a "phased removal" of vaccine certificates when the time is right.

“We may not require them in some venues but still require them in mass gatherings,” Moore said. “We do not see the whole certification process ending suddenly, but having a phased exit from it over time.”

Eastern Ontario Health Unit sees second-highest number of new COVID cases in Ontario, 23 cases in Ottawa

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit saw the second-highest number of new COVID-19 cases in health units across Ontario.

Public Health Ontario reported 55 new cases of COVID-19 in Eastern Ontario, second only to the 69 new cases in Toronto.

In Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, and no new deaths linked to the virus.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa in March 2020, there have been 30,382 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 601 deaths.

 

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram

COVID-19 outbreaks end at two Ottawa schools hit hard by cases

COVID-19 outbreaks at two Ottawa schools forced to close due to COVID-19 cases are officially over, while new outbreaks have been declared at two schools in the capital.

Ottawa Public Health says outbreaks at St. Benedict Catholic elementary school and École élémentaire catholique Marius-Barbeau ended on Wednesday.

St. Benedict Catholic elementary school reopened on Tuesday after being closed for two weeks due to COVID-19 cases. According to the health unit, there were 37 student cases at the school.

 École élémentaire catholique Marius-Barbeau also reopened this week after being closed on Sept. 30 due to COVID-19 cases. There were 16 cases involving students and two staff members who tested positive for novel coronavirus.

Ottawa Public Health reported two new COVID-19 outbreaks at Ottawa schools on Thursday: Fielding Drive Public School and Chapman Mills Elementary School. There are two student cases at each school.

St. Benedict Catholic School in Barrhaven.