COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for May 15, 2021 - CTV Edmonton

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

Fast Facts:

• Canadians can look forward to small, outdoor summer gatherings if vaccine targets are met
• Ottawa sees a slight increase in the weekly COVID-19 incidence rate
• Ottawa's top doctor insists better days ahead during pandemic
• Ontario pediatricians call on the province to open summer camps 

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

• New COVID-19 cases: 116 cases on Friday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 25,848
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 73.2
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 6.5 per cent (May 7 to May 13)
• Reproduction Number: 0.95 (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 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 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)
• Southwest Ottawa COVID-19 Assessment Centre at Richmond Memorial Community Centre: Open Sunday, Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12 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

Vaccine eligibility screening tool:

To check and see if you are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Ottawa, click here. 

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

Canadian health officials are providing a slight hint at what the summer and fall might look like as COVID-19 vaccines continue to roll out.

The Public Health Agency of Canada issued preliminary guidelines detailing what Canadians can expect with fewer pandemic restrictions.

If 75 per cent of Canadians eligible for vaccines have had one dose and 20 per cent have had a second dose, summer can include camping, hiking, picnics, and patios, PHAC says.

By fall, if 75 per cent of those eligible for a vaccine have been fully vaccinated, expect to be able to gather indoors with people outside your household, participate in indoor sports, and attend family gatherings.

Ottawa Public Health reported 116 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, while the capital's COVID-19 weekly incidence rate increased slightly.

One new death linked to the virus was also reported on Friday.

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020, there have been 25,848 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 534 deaths.

Ottawa Public Health reports Ottawa's weekly COVID-19 incidence rate was 73.2 cases per 100,000 on Friday, up from 71.5 cases per 100,000 people.

With Ontario's stay-at-home order set to remain in effect for at least three more weeks, Ottawa's medical officer of health insists better days are ahead as vaccination rates increase and COVID-19 levels decrease.

"Don't give up hope. We are getting there," said Dr. Vera Etches on CTV Morning Live Friday morning.

"The levels are coming down. The other great news is that vaccine coverage is increasing. Within a couple of days, we will probably have 50 per cent of people over 18 in Ottawa that have protection of one dose of vaccine. This is significant."

As of Friday, 49 per cent of Ottawa's population over the age of 18 had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A group representing more than 1,500 Ontario pediatricians is calling on Premier Doug Ford to open up summer camps.

In the letter, the pediatric section of the Ontario Medical Association wrote, “Let’s do the right thing and give our children a ray of hope this summer.”

This call to action comes amidst the two-week extension of Ontario’s stay-at-home order, prohibiting gathering outdoors or indoors with anyone outside of your household.

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COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for May 15, 2021 - CTV Edmonton
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