COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Sept. 25, 2021

OTTAWA -

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

Fast Facts:

• Ontario eases restrictions on capacity limits for some indoor and outdoor settings
• Ontario keeping vaccine passports through winter, top doctor says
• Ottawa sees highest COVID-19 case count in a week
• Ottawa expands COVID-19 testing with a do-it-yourself option for parents

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

• New COVID-19 cases: 65 cases on Friday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 29,541
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 39.4
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.7 per cent (seven-day average)
• Reproduction Number: 1.00 (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

• Temporary Pop-Up Testing COVID-19 Assessment at McNabb Arena on Percy Street: Open daily until Sept. 29 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 Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25 from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26 from 8 a.m. to 4 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

Senators, Redblacks can welcome more fans under new Ontario capacity limits

The Senators and Redblacks will be able to have more fans in the stands at games this fall as Ontario expands capacity limits for sporting events, concerts and events.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore announced expanded capacity limits for some indoor and outdoor settings where proof of COVID-19 vaccine is required.

"With public health and health care indicators currently stable, and proof of vaccination now in effect, we are able to recommend cautiously easing capacity limits in certain settings," said Dr. Moore.

Capacity limits for indoor venues – including sporting events, concerts, theatres, cinemas, event spaces, banquet halls, convention centres and racing venues – will be increased to 50 per cent or 10,000 people, whichever is less.  For outdoor event venues where patrons are seated, capacity limits increase to 75 per cent capacity, up to 30,000 people.

The new rules mean the Ottawa Senators could host approximately 9,300 fans for their first exhibition game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 29.

Fans wait for the first half CFL football action between the BC Lions and the Ottawa Redblacks in Ottawa on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. (Justin Tang /THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Ontario keeping vaccine passports through winter, top doctor says

Ontario's top doctor says the COVID-19 vaccine passport requirements will be in place through the winter.

"I do think they are going to be with us for the fall and winter at a minimum," Dr. Kieran Moore said. "I have seen modelling where we have a significant rise in January and February after the Christmas holidays. That is disconcerting."

The chief medical officer of health says he hopes Ontario can reach a 90 per cent rate of vaccination quickly, which is the target the government says is needed to slow transmission.

Ontario's new proof-of-vaccination program came into effect on Wednesday, requiring people to be fully vaccinated to access several non-essential businesses.

Ottawa sees highest COVID-19 case count in a week

Ottawa Public Health is reporting 65 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, the highest one-day case count in the capital in a week.

Thirty-five of the 65 new cases of COVID-19 involve Ottawa residents under the age of 30.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa in March 2020, there have been 29,541 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 595 deaths.

 

COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram

Ottawa expands COVID-19 testing with do-it-yourself option for parents

Ottawa's COVID-19 testing centres are extending hours and CHEO is now offering parents a do-it-yourself testing kit for children as demand for testing spikes this fall.

Parents have been complaining about a lack of available appointments to get a COVID-19 test immediately, with some waiting up to two days for an available appointment.

CHEO announced on Twitter that it now offers a do-it-yourself test kit, available for children ages two months to 18 years-old. 

"The swab is gentle and easy to do," said CHEO on Twitter.

Parents can choose a date and time to pick-up the kit from the CHEO Assessment Centre at Brewer Arena.

The COVID-19 Care and Testing Centres on Moodie Drive and at the Ray Friel Centre will be adding hours this weekend to meet the testing demand.