COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for June 4, 2021 - CTV News Ottawa

OTTAWA -- Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.

Fast Facts:

• The city of Ottawa warns few appointments are available as the vaccination booking system reopens
• Ottawa parents will hold a protest today over the Ontario government's decision to keep schools closed until the end of June
• 12 of Ottawa's 40 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday involved residents under the age of 10
• Health officials warn Ontario's uptick in COVID-19 cases could put an early move to Step 1 in jeopardy

COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):

• New COVID-19 cases: 40 on Thursday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 27,179
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days):  35.7
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 3.9 per cent (May 26 to June 1)
• Reproduction Number: 0.81 (seven day average)

Testing:

Who should get a test?

Ottawa Public Health says you can get a COVID-19 test at an assessment centre, care clinic, or community testing site if any of the following apply to you:

• You are showing COVID-19 symptoms;
• You have been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, as informed by Ottawa Public Health or exposure notification through the COVID Alert app;
• You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health;
• You are a resident, a worker or a visitor to long-term care, retirement homes, homeless shelters or other congregate settings (for example: group homes, community supported living, disability-specific communities or congregate settings, short-term rehab, hospices and other shelters);
• You are a person who identifies as First Nations, Inuit or Métis;
• You are a person travelling to work in a remote First Nations, Inuit or Métis community;
• You received a preliminary positive result through rapid testing;
• You require testing 72 hours before a scheduled (non-urgent or emergent) surgery (as recommended by your health care provider);
• You are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort tra­velling out of country for medical treatment;
• You are an international student that has passed their 14-day quarantine period;
• You are a farm worker;
• You are an educator who cannot access pharmacy-testing; or
• You are in a targeted testing group as outlined in guidance from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:

There are several sites for COVID-19 testing in Ottawa. To book an appointment, visit https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/shared-content/assessment-centres.aspx

• The Brewer Ottawa Hospital/CHEO Assessment Centre: Open Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Open Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (testing only)
• The Heron Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (testing only)
• North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Kemptville) – 15 Campus Drive: Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Centretown Community Health Centre: Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sandy Hill Community Health Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 pm.
• Somerset West Community Health Centre: Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday

COVID-19 screening tool:

The COVID-19 screening tool for students heading back to in-person classes can be found here.

Symptoms:

Classic Symptoms: fever, new or worsening cough, shortness of breath

Other symptoms: sore throat, difficulty swallowing, new loss of taste or smell, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, pneumonia, new or unexplained runny nose or nasal congestion

Less common symptoms: unexplained fatigue, muscle aches, headache, delirium, chills, red/inflamed eyes, croup

The city of Ottawa warns COVID-19 vaccine supplies remain low, as thousands of people scramble to book a second dose.

On Monday, Ontario announced residents 80 and over can reschedule COVID-19 vaccination appointments to meet a two dose summer. Residents aged 80 and older who do not have a second dose appointment booked will be contacted directly by Ottawa Public Health.  

"This will guarantee access to appointments within the standard second dose interval,” the city said in a news release.

There are currently 17,000 residents aged 80 and older that didn't have a second dose booked. Emergency and protective services general manager Anthony Di Monte says the city has set aside vaccine to ensure that group receives their second dose within the allotted timeframe.

As of Thursday morning, more than 150,000 appointments are booked at city COVID-19 immunization clinics until the end of June.

"Our remaining doses are committed to other channels, including improving coverage in priority neighbourhoods and providing second doses to high priority healthcare workers, as directed by the province," said Di Monte.

A group of Ottawa parents and students will hold a march in Westboro today, to protest the Ontario government's decision to keep school closed until the end of the school year.

The group plans to start walking at 9 a.m. Friday outside Nepean High School and Broadview Public School. The plan is to walk the block around both schools for about an hour.

"The Ford government has not listened to the experts, the paediatric experts, the students, the teachers, the teachers unions, the families, the parents that are struggling," said Alecia O’Brien.

Ottawa Public Health reported 40 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, the sixth straight day with double-digit case numbers.

There are two new deaths linked to novel coronavirus in Ottawa.

Twelve of the 40 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday involved Ottawa residents under the age of 10.

Ontario's top doctor warns the chances of an earlier reopening are looking "less promising" after a rise in COVID-19 cases over the past two days.

Public Health Ontario reported 870 new cases on Thursday, up from 699 cases on Tuesday and 733 cases on Wednesday.

Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday that he's waiting for advice about whether the province can move the Step 1 reopening date forward.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams told reporters on Thursday he’s concerned about the recent uptick, and said it could be potentially attributed to the Victoria Day long weekend.

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COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for June 4, 2021 - CTV News Ottawa
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