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

Fast Facts:

  • A new record for the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day has been set in Ottawa.
  • City bylaw officers are cracking down on people who don't follow the mandatory mask bylaw.
  • Rising cases of COVID-19 at Queen's University in Kingston don't meet the definition of an outbreak yet, the region's top doctor says.
  • Advance voting days in the Cumberland ward byelection give a sneak peek of what measures will be in place on voting day.

Testing:

The COVID-19 assessment centre at 151 Brewer Way is open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. today. Parents must book an appointment to have their children tested. 

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 a.m. to 7 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

New case count record

Ottawa has broken a record for the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day, just one week after the previous record was broken.

Ottawa Public Health reported 105 new cases of COVID-19 in the city on Tuesday, eclipsing the previous record of 93 new cases, set the Tuesday before.

Three new deaths were also announced.

In a tweet, Mayor Jim Watson called the rise in cases "unsettling."

 

Bylaw cracking down on mask scofflaws

The city's bylaw officers are handing out more tickets for people who violate the temporary mandatory mask bylaw that requires face coverings in indoor public places and condo and apartment building common areas, with some exceptions.

In a statement to CTV News, Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services said it handed out 13 tickets between Sept. 25 and Sept. 29, including to someone at a Costco who refused to wear a mask.

Bylaw said earlier this month the "warning phase" was over.

Ottawa's Temporary Mask Bylaw

Rising cases at Queen's "not an outbreak", top doc says

Despite seeing numbers steadily increase over the past week, Kingston’s top doctor says he is not declaring an outbreak at Queen’s University just yet.

Fourteen cases linked to the university have been announced so far, many in the last week. Half of those are students living in residence, the university confirms.

Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health’s Dr. Kieran Moore said, while numbers are increasing, they don’t qualify as an outbreak because the spread is still sporadic and not linked to community transmission.

Queen's University COVID-19

Safety measures in place for Cumberland ward byelection

Residents of Cumberland ward in Ottawa’s east end are the first in the city to vote during a pandemic and a number of measures have been put in place to ensure the process is as safe as possible. 

Among the safety measures:

  • Mandatory masks
  • The number of people in the voting location will be limited
  • Physical distancing markers
  • Hand sanitizing stations
  • Single-use stationary
  • Acrylic barriers
  • Disposable masks will be available if someone does not have one.

Anyone with COVID-19 or its symptoms, or who may be at risk of exposure is asked to stay home on voting day, but can allow someone to vote on their behalf. 

Cumberland Ward by-election