COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Oct. 23, 2021

A woman adjusts her face mask. (Photo by EVG Culture from Pexels)

OTTAWA -

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

Fast Facts:

• Business owners cheer Ontario's move to lift capacity limits in restaurants and bars starting Monday
• The Ottawa Police Service COVID-19 vaccination policy does not require officers to be fully vaccinated
• Ottawa sees an increase in COVID-19 cases on Friday
• New COVID-19 vaccination policy for visitors to Ottawa's four long-term care homes

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

• New COVID-19 cases: 42 cases on Friday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 30,632
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 19.5
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.7 per cent (seven-day average)
• Reproduction Number: 1.8 (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

• COVID-19 Assessment Centre at McNabb Arena at 180 Percy St.: Open Monday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• 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.  Saturday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 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

'Gives us a level playing field': Ottawa businesses cheer the lifting of capacity limits in restaurants and gyms

Ottawa business owners are applauding the Ontario government's plan to lift capacity limits in restaurants, fitness centres and other non-essential indoor settings on Monday.

"Stoked, to say the least," said Derek Urban, general manager of High Fives Sports Pub. "We've been looking forward to this day for a very long time."

"It's very exciting news," said Victoria Bassi, owner of TG Athletics in Kanata, during an interview on Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron.

"It feels like it kind of gives us a level playing field, finally, after all this time."

Starting Monday, Ontario is lifting capacity limits in the "vast majority of settings" where proof of vaccination is required, including restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments, and indoor areas of sports and recreational facilities such as gyms.

Personal care services, museums and galleries can lift capacity limits if they implement a proof of vaccination system.

Paul Roberston works out at Crossfit Bytown as patrons return to the gym as Ontario enters phase 3 of reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa on Friday, July 16, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Unvaccinated Ottawa police employees must undergo testing every three days under COVID-19 vaccine policy

The Ottawa Police Service COVID-19 vaccination policy does not require officers to be fully vaccinated to work.

Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly and Ottawa Police Association President Matt Skof unveiled the policy to employees on Friday afternoon after two months of discussions.

Under the policy, which takes effect Oct. 22, all officers and civilians must disclose their vaccination status or provide written proof of a medical exemption.

"If you are not fully vaccinated, you must produce a negative COVID-19 test every 72 hours," says the policy, which also covers employees working from home.

The Ottawa Police station on Elgin Street is seen in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (Justin Tang/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Slight increase in COVID-19 cases in Ottawa on Friday

Ottawa Public Health reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, the highest one-day increase in cases in a week.

Meantime, the number of active cases continues to rise with 239 active cases of novel coronavirus in the capital.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa in March 2020, there have been 30,632 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 602 deaths.

On Friday, Ottawa Public Health reported a new outbreak at École élémentaire catholique Montfort, the second outbreak at the east end school this fall.

 

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram

New COVID-19 vaccination policy for visitors to Ottawa's four long-term care homes

Visitors to the four municipal long-term care homes in Ottawa will soon need to be fully vaccinated or undergo COVID-19 testing each time they visit the facility.

The city of Ottawa unveiled a new COVID-19 vaccination policy for visitors to long-term care homes on Friday evening, saying it will be "additional safety precautions" for visitors.