OTTAWA -- Ontario expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to people 75 and older, concerns about Ottawa's COVID-19 rates and the trial begins for the OC Transpo bus driver charged in the Westboro bus crash.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.
RESIDENTS 75 AND OLDER CAN BOOK COVID-19 VACCINES
People in Ottawa and eastern Ontario aged 75 and older are next in line to book appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Starting Monday at 8 a.m., individuals aged 75 and older can book an appointment through the Ontario government's online booking system to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
On March 15, residents aged 80 and over were eligible to begin signing up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The city of Ottawa said more than 20,000 people 80 and over have already signed up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Meantime, approximately 3,000 Ottawa residents aged 80 and over are having their appointments re-scheduled after a data-entry error caused double-bookings.
The city is adding a temporary clinic at the Francois Dupuis Recreation Centre in Orleans and expanding the Nepean Sportsplex clinic for three days this week to accommodate the re-bookings.
FIRST FULL WEEK FOR OTTAWA IN THE RED-CONTROL ZONE
All eyes will be on Ottawa's COVID-19 indicators this week, as the first full week begins in the Red-Control zone.
Ontario moved Ottawa into the red zone on Friday, imposing new restrictions on social gatherings, bars, restaurants, gyms, sports teams and cinemas.
On Saturday, Ottawa Public Health reported 107 new cases of COVID-19, the largest one-day increase in new cases since Jan. 21. Eighty-six new cases were reported on Sunday.
A senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital suggests moving to the red zone may not be enough to control the spread of COVID-19 in Ottawa.
"It's going up. I think the question is now moving into red zone, are we going to flatten that out?" said Dr. Doug Manuel about COVID-19 in Ottawa.
"I'm concerned that red is not going to hold us, especially with the new variant and that we're going to continue to increase."
Dr. Manuel suggests Ottawa may need to move into the Grey-Lockdown zone to control the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark Public Health moves into the red zone on Monday, while Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington moves to yellow.
OC TRANSPO BUS CRASH TRIAL
The trial for the OC Transpo bus driver charged in connection with the fatal bus crash at Westboro Station two years ago begins Monday.
Aissatou Diallo is charged with three counts of dangerous driving causing death and 35 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
Diallo pleaded not guilty.
Three people were killed when an OC Transpo double-decker bus crashed into a bus shelter at Westboro Station on Jan. 11, 2019.
ONTARIO BUDGET DAY
The Ontario government will unveil the next phase of the province's COVID-19 Action Plan on Wednesday with the release of the 2021 budget.
The government says Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy's budget will support the province's comprehensive vaccine distribution plan, along with providing additional resources for the health care sector and the initiatives to protect the economic well-being of families, workers and jobs.
Municipalities will be watching Ontario's budget to see if there is new money to help cover municipal costs during the pandemic.
OTTAWA'S WOMEN AND GENDER EQUITY STRATEGY
Ottawa's community and protective services committee will discuss the city's first Women and Gender Equity Strategy (WGES) on Thursday.
The city says the strategy focuses on integrating women and gender equity in city processes, services, strategies and policies with the goal of improving access to city services for the whole spectrum of women and people with various gender expressions in the city.
"WGES places women and gender equity at the core of the city's COVID-19 response and recovering planning," says the report.
"Work is being done across departments and service areas and in coordination with other levels of government to ensure a gender lens is used in city's COVID-19 response and recovery."
The report says the vision for the Women and Gender Equity Strategy is: "Ottawa is a women and gender-inclusive, diverse, and safe city for residents from all gender groups where every person has equitable access to services and equal opportunities to participate in all aspects of life."
The key strategic outcomes and implementation priorities are:
- Policy change for women and gender equity
- Safety
- Equitable representation of women
- Gender inclusivity
EVENTS IN OTTAWA THIS WEEK
MONDAY
Ottawa Police Services Board meeting – 2 p.m.
Ottawa Senators host the Calgary Flames. 7 p.m. on TSN 5 and TSN 1200
TUESDAY
Ottawa Planning Committee meeting – 9:30 a.m.
Ottawa Catholic School Board meeting – 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Ottawa Senators host the Calgary Flames. 5 p.m. on TSN 5 and TSN 1200
THURSDAY
Ottawa Community and Protective Services Committee meeting - 9:30 a.m.
Ottawa Senators host the Toronto Maple Leafs. 7 p.m. on TSN 5 and TSN 1200
