OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Parents are being warned to find alternate ways to get their kids to school amid a severe school bus driver shortage.
- Ottawa Public Health reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday.
- A single cottage party is responsible for as many as 40 confirmed COVID-19 infections.
- The Ottawa Hospital says it is working to resolve issues with the online booking system for the Drive-Thru COVID-19 testing site.
Testing:
- The COVID-19 assessment centre at 151 Brewer Way is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. today.
- The COVID-19 care clinic at 595 Moodie Dr. is open today from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- The COVID-19 care clinic at 1485 Heron Rd. is open today from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- The drive-thru COVID-19 testing centre at RCGT Park is open today from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. but you need to book an appointment.
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
Severe school bus driver shortage in Ottawa
The Ottawa Student Transportation Authority says a severe driver shortage will require some changes to is yellow school bus service, which has yet to start.
In a statement on its website, OSTA says parents should prepare to have alternative arrangements to get their kids to school for the next few weeks until service stabilizes.
There is a similar driver shortage affecting service in several parts of the Ottawa Valley.
How one cottage party led to 40 cases of COVID-19
Ottawa's top doctor shared a story at city council on Wednesday about a real life example of contact tracing, where one sick person led to 40 confirmed infections.
The individual started to feel like they had a cold at a cottage party. Within nine days, 40 infections linked to that party were confirmed, as the people who attended caught COVID-19, brought it home, and then spread it to others.
Dr. Vera Etches says it serves as a cautionary tale about the need to maintain physical distancing and mask use when socializing, especially indoors.
Dip in active cases
Ottawa Public Health reported 17 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday and 34 new resolved cases, dropping the number of active cases to 225.
Technical issues stall online booking for drive-thru test site
The Ottawa Hospital says it is working to resolve technical issues with the online booking system for the COVID-19 drive-thru testing site at RCGT Park.
Several people, including Orléans Coun. Matt Luloff, have expressed frustration with delays or other glitches trying to book an appointed for the drive-thru testing site.
The Ottawa Hospital said in a statement it is aware of the problem and is working to fix them as soon as possible.
