Reinforcements arrive at CHEO and CUPE releases contract vote results: Five stories to watch this week

CHEO released a video on Friday showing patients and parents waiting in the hallways of the emergency department. (CHEO/Vimeo)

A small team of staff from the Canadian Red Cross begin work this week at CHEO, the union representing education workers release the results of the contract ratification vote and all eyes on respiratory viruses as the countdown begins to Christmas.

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at five stories to watch in Ottawa this week.

HELP ARRIVES AT CHEO

A small team of staff from the Canadian Red Cross will arrive at Ottawa's children's hospital this week to assist nurses and staff respond to "unprecedented volumes" of patients during respiratory virus season.

CHEO is partnering with the Red Cross to provide assistance to clinical teams leading up to the holiday season.

"This will allow some of our redeployed staff to go back to their regular roles and ensure Team CHEO can provide the safe, world-class care that our patients deserve," CHEO Chief Nursing Executive Tammy DiGiovanni said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

CHEO has been seeing a surge in patients with respiratory viruses this fall, forcing the hospital to cancel non-urgent surgeries and procedures, open a second pediatric intensive care unit and redeploy staff from surgical and medical care units. Patients aged 16 and 17 are also being transferred to adult hospitals in Ottawa.

DiGiovanni says CHEO has asked for extra support from organizations across the region, including Roger Neilson House, Ottawa Public Health and local hospitals for staff, equipment and accommodating patient transfers.

EDUCATION WORKERS UNION RELEASE VOTE RESULTS

The union representing 55,000 education workers across Ontario will release the results of its contract ratification vote on Monday morning.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees reached a tentative agreement Nov. 20, averting a strike that would have closed schools in Ottawa and eastern Ontario.

CUPE says the proposed four-year contract includes an average 3.59 per cent wage increase each year.

If CUPE members vote to reject the latest deal, both sides could return to the bargaining table and CUPE could give another strike notice.

CUPE represents education workers at the Ottawa Catholic School Board, and Ottawa's two French language school boards.

Education workers and supporters hold a political protest outside the office of MPP Lisa MacLeod on Greenbank Road. CUPE is protesting the Ontario government's move to impose a four year contract on union members. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa)

OTTAWA CITY COUNCIL MEETS

Elected officials will vote on two major reports setting the stage for the new term of council on Wednesday, the final scheduled meeting of the 2022 year at Ottawa City Hall.

The first big item on the agenda is the 2022-2026 Council Governance Review, outlining council and committee structures, policies, procedures and other related issues.

Recommendations include removing citizen transit commissioners from the transit commission, separate the Community and Protective Services Committee into two committees and that the deputy mayors be appointed by rotation instead of two or three deputy mayors for the full term.

The second report will give directions for staff to develop the 2023 city of Ottawa budget. The report recommends drafting the budget with a 2 to 2.5 per cent property tax hike, which was a campaign promise from Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. The report does warn COVID-19 and inflationary pressures could affect the budget, and proposals to address increased costs will be included in the budget.

Each councillor will also have five minutes during Wednesday's meeting to make opening remarks for the session.

Education workers and supporters hold a political protest outside the office of MPP Lisa MacLeod on Greenbank Road. CUPE is protesting the Ontario government's move to impose a four year contract on union members. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa)

RESPIRATORY VIRUS SEASON

All eyes will be on respiratory viruses circulating in Ottawa, three weeks before Christmas.

Ottawa Public Health says overall trends with COVID-19 monitoring indicators are down this week compared to a month ago, but wastewater viral signals show "very high" levels of influenza and "moderate levels" of RSV.

OPH data shows a flu testing positivity rate of 27.5 per cent for the week ending Nov. 26, up from 23.4 per cent for the week ending Nov. 19.

"The levels of respiratory viruses circulating in our community remain high," OPH said on Twitter.

"Remember: the things we learned throughout the pandemic to limit the spread of COVID-19 (like wearing masks & staying home if sick) will also help limit the spread of viruses like RSV & the flu."

Trevor Fowler receives his flu shot from Barrhaven pharmacist Mohammed Manji. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

SENATORS HOST INDIGENOUS PEOPLES APPRECIATION NIGHT

The Ottawa Senators host their fourth annual Indigenous Peoples Appreciation Night on Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

The Senators say the night will celebrate and engage the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation, the ancestral unceded land on which Canadian Tire Centre sits.

The event will include a hockey clinic for Indigenous youth from communities around the region, an Indigenous artisans' market on the 200 level concourse, and Black Bear singers.

The Senators host Los Angeles Tuesday night at Canadian Tire Centre.'The Canadian Tire Centre will remain the home of the Ottawa Senators as the club takes the next step in building a new arena at LeBreton Flats. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)