OTTAWA -- Ottawa enters the second wave of COVID-19, social gatherings in the capital are now limited to 10 people indoors, and volunteers help find a cat thrown from a car window.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the top five stories of the week in Ottawa.

Ottawa in second wave of COVID-19 pandemic: Dr. Etches

During a week that saw the daily COVID-19 case count hit 60 cases three times, Ottawa's medical officer of health said Ottawa is now in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We're seeing a rise in cases and it's the speed of the increase that concerns us," said Dr. Vera Etches after a meeting with Premier Doug Ford on Friday.

"We can't sustain a rapid rise in cases; we need to be able to keep it to a manageable level."

Speaking with reporters later in the day, Dr. Etches said, "the actions we take today could make that wave flatten, that curve flatten again within the next two-to-three weeks."

Dr. Etches reminds people to practice physical distancing, wear a mask while indoors and limit contacts with others outside your social bubble.

Ottawa's medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches

Social gatherings limited to 10 people indoors, 25 outdoors in Ottawa

Social gatherings in indoor and outdoor private spaces in Ottawa must be a little smaller.

Ontario rolled back the social gathering limits and organized public events in Ottawa after a request from Mayor Jim Watson and Dr. Etches.

Starting Friday, indoor gatherings will be limited in Ottawa to a maximum of 10 people, while outdoor events and social gatherings can have a maximum of 25 people.

Premier Doug Ford also announced new fines for violating the social gathering rules. The fine will be a minimum of $10,000 for the organizers of the illegal gatherings, while people attending will be fined $750.

On Saturday, Ontario announced the limits on social gatherings are extended to all areas of Ontario.

People take a rest in chairs in downtown Ottawa

63 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday

Ottawa Public Health reported 63 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the highest one day total during a week that saw three days with at least 60 new cases.

Twenty of the 63 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday involved residents between 20 and 29 years-old.

Ottawa Public Health announced 55 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday. There are 484 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, the highest total of active cases since May.

Since the first case of COVID-19 on March 11, there have been 3,604 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 274 deaths.

 

Pembroke. Ont. high school first in Ontario to close after COVID-19 cases

The Renfrew County and District Health Unit ordered Fellowes High School in Pembroke to close on Wednesday due to cases of COVID-19.

By Friday afternoon, four teachers and a student at the school had tested positive for COVID-19.

The health unit had set up targeted testing for 140 staff and students to be tested for COVID-19 in a bid to limit the spread of the virus.

Fellowes High School was the first school in Ontario ordered to close due to cases of COVID-19 since the start of the new school year.

Fellowes High School in Pembroke, Ont.

Dozens of volunteers search for and find cat thrown from car window in Bells Corners

Diesel, a four-month-old kitten, is happy and healthy thanks to a group of volunteer animal rescuers who saved his live.

The Nepean Animal Hospital says Diesel was thrown from a parked car window on Sept. 11. A veterinary technician witnessed the incident and alerted her vet right away.

With the help of volunteers, the cat was located and eventually caught.

Diesel was checked out at the Nepean Animal Hospital and is now in the care of a vet technician.

Diesel the Cat