OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
- Ontario Premier Doug Ford is urging Ontarians to keep Labour Day parties small this year
- Ottawa's mayor is working with businesses to keep patio season going into the late fall
- The number of outbreaks in Ottawa is on the rise
- Ontario saw 148 new cases Friday, with nearly half in the Peel region
- A group of scientists who are now researching COVID-19 got lucky pre-pandemic with a big lotto win
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 closed today.
- The COVID-19 care clinic at 1485 Heron Rd. is closed today.
- 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.
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
Keep Labour Day parties small this weekend: Ford
With the unofficial end of summer upon us, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is urging citizens to keep their Labour Day parties small and safe this long weekend.
Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA's "The Morning Rush with Bill Carroll", the premier said he's concerned about the rising case numbers in Ontario.
"I'm concerned. I'm really concerned to see the numbers just slowly creeping up," he said.
"Folks, I can't stress it enough: please, if you have small group over, wear a face covering and enjoy yourselves but I'm just really concerned if this starts spreading again."
Can heaters keep patio season going?
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says city staff and local businesses have been working on a plan to extend patio season this year, to help keep restaurants and bars afloat as COVID-19 continues and cooler weather approaches.
Indoor dining is allowed in Stage 3 of Ontario's reopening framework, where Ottawa has been since mid-July, but Watson said there is still some reluctance among the population toward eating indoors.
Watson says heaters and fire pits can help keep patios going longer as the weather cools. He is also promising extra snow clearing outside businesses that do curbside pickup.
Three more outbreaks declared in Ottawa
Ottawa Public Health is reporting three new COVID-19 outbreaks, at two childcare centres and at a long-term care home, bringing the total number of outbreaks in the city to 19.
This comes as 13 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Friday.
The number of active cases fell slightly, thanks to a rise in resolved cases.
Numbers jump in Peel region
On Friday, provincial health officials logged 148 new patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Of those patients, 72 were in Peel Region.
Speaking at his daily news conference held on Friday afternoon, Premier Doug Ford called the rise in cases in Peel Region, specifically in Brampton, a real concern.
“When Brampton makes up three per cent of the population but 40 per cent of the cases yesterday that is concerning and I keep seeing this escalating,” Ford said.
Scientists researching COVID-19 win a million dollar lotto prize
A group of 14 Ottawa-area scientists, who are currently researching COVID-19 for a Canadian university, have won a pretty hefty payday.
The scientists have been playing the lottery together for the last four years and, in February, they won a $1 million Max Millions draw.
A representative for the group, who recently went to Toronto to collect the winnings, said 14 families would benefit from the windfall they earned on a cold February morning.
