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

Fast Facts:

  • The City of Ottawa has opened up vaccine appointments to more neighbourhoods.
  • Ottawa's case count is holding steady despite a spike in cases across Ontario.
  • We take a deeper look at the data surrounding the more than 15,000 cases of COVID-19 seen in Ottawa in the past year.

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

  • New COVID-19 cases: 57 new cases on Monday
  • Total COVID-19 cases: 15,167
  • COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 37.9
  • Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.2 per cent (March 1-7)
  • Reproduction Number: 1.08 (seven day average)

Testing:

Who should get a test?

Ottawa Public Health says there are five reasons to seek testing for COVID-19:

  • You are showing COVID-19 symptoms. OR
  • 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. OR
  • You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health. OR
  • You are eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care. OR
  • You have traveled to the U.K., or have come into contact with someone who recently traveled to the U.K., please go get tested immediately (even if you have no symptoms).

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

  • The Brewer Ottawa Hospital/CHEO Assessment Centre: Open Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • COVID-19 Drive-thru assessment centre at National Arts Centre: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • The Heron Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Vaccine eligibility screening tool:

To check and see if you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa, click here

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 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

City opens up vaccine appointments to more people

More people in Ottawa are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.

On Monday, the city added 14 neighbourhoods to its list of places where residents 80 and older or who are adult recipients of chronic home care can book an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

The city also announced that thousands of front-line health-care workers and public facing workers in certain sectors would soon be eligible to book appointments.

Over the weekend, nearly 7,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Ottawa.

Ottawa COVID-19 vaccinations

Cases hold steady in Ottawa as Ontario sees spike

Ottawa Public Health reported on Monday that 57 more people in the city had tested positive for COVID-19 and one more person had died.

The figure is in line with past reports and Ottawa is holding steady in the "Orange-Restrict" level.

This, despite Ontario reporting a spike of more than 1,600 new cases on Monday, though the Ministry of Health admits that the spike is due in part to a data catch-up in the system, so some older cases were added on Monday.

 

Deep dive into data: one year of COVID-19

CTVNewsOttawa.ca took a look at the data surrounding the more than 15,000 case of COVID-19 that had been reported in Ottawa since March 11, 2020.

In the past year, people under 50 contracted COVID-19 more often, but people over 50 ended up in the hospital more regularly. Most of the people who died of COVID-19 were 80 or older and living in long-term care or retirement homes.

Close contact was the leading driver of transmission among the general public, but outbreaks were the leading source of transmission for fatal cases.

There is hope, however! Data show that since the city of Ottawa completed vaccinations of long-term care homes in the city, there have been zero deaths linked to outbreaks and only one resident case reported.

Stay-at-home order, Ottawa