Ottawa Public Health asking for public's help reaching out to high-risk contacts

The emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is putting strain on Ottawa Public Health's contact tracing efforts and residents are now being asked to reach out to close contacts on their own.

Medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches issued a statement Monday evening saying there is a backlog in the case and contact management system, meaning there could be a delay in reaching out to people who have tested positive and their close contacts.

OPH is now asking for the public's help.

"To address this backlog of cases, Ottawa Public Health is asking individuals who test positive for COVID-19 to self-isolate and notify your high-risk contacts immediately of your positive COVID-19 status, as there may be a delay in Ottawa Public Health contacting you," the statement said. "If a close contact tells you they have tested positive, please book a COVID-19 test immediately, even if fully vaccinated - do not wait for Ottawa Public Health to contact you."

According to the Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce, the average turnaround from the time a swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 37 hours. OPH says contact tracing can take several days to complete.

"OPH typically contacts individuals who receive a lab-confirmed positive result within 48 hours after they do the test," an OPH spokesperson explained to CTV News Ottawa in an email last week.

"Note that during a period of a surge in cases, some delays beyond the usual 48-hour notification period occurs. During a surge, our testing partners, laboratories, and reporting systems are also managing high volumes to process tests. After an individual develops symptoms, it takes some time to get tested and to receive the test results. It then takes time for OPH to determine who was exposed to the individual that tested positive, and to notify those contacts."

Don't wait for symptoms to improve

OPH is also asking anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms to seek a test right away, regardless of their vaccination status.

"If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, do not wait a day or two days to see if your symptoms improve, book a COVID-19 test immediately and isolate until you have your results, even if you are vaccinated," Etches said.

Residents are asked to maintain pandemic control measures, including regular mask use, physical distancing and limiting close contacts.

OPH also says if you need to isolate from household members, you can stay in a separate room or stay in an isolation centre until symptoms improve and it has been at least 10 days since symptoms started (or since testing positive if you have no symptoms), or until Ottawa Public Health informs you that you can stop isolating.

For information about staying in an isolation centre please call 613-580-2424 ext. 25890 or email [e-mail].  

Efforts continue to vaccinate residents. On Monday, as the provincial portal opened appointments for third doses for eligible residents 50 and older, OPH said local appointments were fully booked until January. The health unit then said Monday evening that 5,200 new appointments were added.

To date, 83 per cent of the population of Ottawa has had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 78 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated. More than 83,000 residents have had a third dose.