Sports game, party lead to more than 240 high-risk COVID-19 contacts

This graphic by Ottawa Public Health illustrates a real-world example of COVID-19 community transmission and contact tracing. (Ottawa Public Health)

OTTAWA -

A sporting event and social gathering last month led to at least 26 people contracting COVID-19, according to new contact tracing released by Ottawa Public Health.

The two events eventually created 247 high-risk contacts, led to 13 cohorts at five high schools being dismissed, and impacted one long-term care home.

It’s the first detailed contact tracing case the health unit has released since most of Ottawa’s population received COVID-19 vaccines.

Here’s how it happened, according to OPH:

• One person with COVID-19 played an organized outdoor sports game. They developed symptoms of COVID-19 the next day, but delayed testing and attended a social gathering and school while experiencing symptoms
• Another person with COVID-19 symptoms attended a social event with players who participated in the sports game.
• Both people delayed testing after developing symptoms, and neither person was vaccinated against COVID-19, Ottawa Public Health says.

Everyone who tested positive for COVID-19 had not been fully vaccinated against the virus, even though they all were eligible.

In addition, five people attended schools and other community settings and delayed testing for more than five days after developing symptoms of COVID-19.

Players in the sports game did not wear masks or maintain physical distancing.

The social gathering was indoors; two people attended while experiencing COVID symptoms. OPH says masking was ‘inconsistent.’

The graphic Ottawa Public Health released Wednesday shows transmission up to Sept. 23; OPH says transmission continues in the community.

By Sept. 30, transmission spread to include 11 more positive cases, 217 more high-risk contacts and led to the closure of an elementary school.