Ontario's back-to-school plan, driving up vaccinations, and returning to the office: Five stories to watch in Ottawa this week
Back to school plans, getting those final jabs, and how will the pandemic progress in August?
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch this week.
Back to school plans
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has promised a "comprehensive" back to school plan this week, with five weeks of summer left.
Ford told reporters last week that he has "every confidence in the world" that the province will be ready for school to resume in September.
A back-to-school plan was originally supposed to be delivered in July. Ford said Education Minister Stephen Lecce would announce the plan early this week, though a date has yet to be announced.
Last week, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore told reporters the COVID-19 outbreak management plan for the new school year applies separate sets of rules based on vaccination status.
A school bus driver drops off children for their first day of class at Jonathan Pitre French Catholic Elementary School, in Ottawa. Aug. 19, 2020. (Jeff McDonald / CTV News Ottawa)
Vaccination home stretch
Ottawa Public Health and the City of Ottawa will be shifting their focus on COVID-19 vaccines as they attempt to reach a lofty goal of 90 per cent coverage among the eligible population.
As of Friday, 84 per cent of residents 12 and older have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 71 per cent had two.
Some mass vaccination clinics have closed, though four remain open for residents who still need a first or second dose. Anyone who wants a vaccine can walk in without an appointment to receive one.
There are also several pop-up vaccination clinics scheduled through the week and OPH is making mobile vaccination teams available to businesses, community groups, and places of worship upon request.
A basket of needles containing Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine waits to be administered to patients at a COVID-19 clinic in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
A Step 3 long weekend
Monday is Colonel By Day in Ottawa. The Civic Holiday long weekend in Ontario comes as the province remains in Step 3 of the Ontario government's reopening plan, which allows for indoor dining and larger crowds than we saw on Canada Day.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told CTV News at Six last week that Ottawa is "staying the course" when it comes to the pandemic, noting that the COVID-19 wastewater monitoring level has remained low and that continued mask use and physical distancing has kept the virus level manageable in the city.
As of Sunday, Ottawa had 51 confirmed active cases of COVID-19 and there were zero COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
Government workers return to the office
A small number of federal employees are set to return to their office towers in the national capital region this week.
Tens of thousands of federal employees have been working from home since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving office towers in Ottawa and Gatineau practically empty, much to the dismay of local businesses that rely on the foot traffic from public servants.
Public Services and Procurement Canada says about 200 federal employees will be making their way back to offices this week as part of a pilot project that will inform a broader return-to-workplaces plan.
The Place du Portage Phase III building where Legionella bacteria was found, in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday, May 14, 2015.
Final week for the Summer Games
It's the final week of the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.
Gatineau, Que.'s Nick Hoag will be among the men competing in the men's volleyball quarterfinal on Monday.
Canada also faces the United States in the women's soccer semifinal in Monday.
Canadians will be taking to the water Tuesday with water polo, canoe sprints, and artistic swimming events. Canoe sprints continue through the week. Men's and women's 10 m platform diving events are also scheduled.
The closing ceremony will be held Aug. 8.
Canada's Nicholas Hoag passes the ball during a men's preliminary volleyball match against Mexico at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.