OTTAWA —
Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
Ottawa 67’s permitted to open the Arena at TD Place to full capacity for today’s home opener
Restaurants frustrated they’re left out of the lifting of capacity limits in Ontario
Ottawa sees highest one-day increase in new COVID-19 cases in a week
Coaches, officials, volunteers must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for indoor sports in Ottawa
COVID-19 by the numbers in Ottawa (Ottawa Public Health data):
New COVID-19 cases: 48 cases on Saturday
Total COVID-19 cases: 30,231
COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 26.8
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 1.7 per cent (seven-day average)
Reproduction Number: 0.97 (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 are a patient and/or their 1 accompanying escort travelling out of country for medical treatment;
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.
Long-term care staff, caregivers, volunteers and visitors who are fully immunized against COVID-19 are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test before entering or visiting a long-term care home.
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
Temporary Pop-Up Testing COVID-19 Assessment at McNabb Arena on Percy Street: Open Sunday and Monday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Brewer Ottawa Hospital/CHEO Assessment Centre: Open Sunday and Monday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
COVID-19 Drive-Thru Assessment Centre at 300 Coventry Road: Open Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
North Grenville COVID-19 Assessment Centre (Kemptville) – 15 Campus Drive: Open Sunday and Monday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Thanksgiving Monday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Thanksgiving Monday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
COVID-19 screening tool:
The COVID-19 screening tool for schools in Ottawa and eastern Ontario. All students, teachers and school staff must complete the COVID-19 School screening tool daily.
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
Ottawa 67’s can have a full house for Sunday’s home opener
The Ottawa 67’s can have a capacity crowd of 8,000 fans at the Arena at TD Place for today’s home opener against the Kingston Frontenacs.
The Ontario government has lifted the capacity limits for indoor and outdoor settings where proof of vaccination is required, allowing 100 per cent capacity in venues used for concerts, sports and movie theatres.
The measures mean the Ottawa 67’s can have a capacity crowd for the 2 p.m. game on Sunday, and Monday’s game.
All fans 12 and older must be fully vaccinated to attend the games, and masks are mandatory except when eating and drinking.
Restaurants frustrated with Ontario’s decision to lift capacity restrictions for sports and concert venues, but not restaurants and bars
Ottawa restaurant owners are frustrated they’ve been excluded from the list of venues allowed to operate at full capacity in Ontario.
While sports and concert venues and movie theatres can operate at 100 per cent capacity, bars and restaurants are limited to the number of people that can maintain physical distancing.
“If it’s safe to sit with 20,000 strangers and yell and scream without a mask, there’s no reason you can’t sit quietly in a restaurant and still have restrictions placed on you,” said James Rilett of Restaurants Canada. “It makes no sense.”
These poor restos that still have restrictions watching the stadiums open to full capacity.
It must be so hard.
I have had 15 MPPs respond to the email I sent them all this week w/ two of them saying they will bring my request for more funding to caucus.#Ottawa #SmallBusiness pic.twitter.com/LNGPSGAOTR
— Michael Wood (@mikewoodottawa) October 9, 2021
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is disappointed.
“It’s hard to point out the fact it feels like we’re creating an unfair playing field once again,” said Dan Kelly, President of the CFIB.
On Twitter, Kelly said backlash has been swift.
“Lots of messages from angry restaurant, gym, dance studio, bowling alley owners who face 50 per cent capacity restrictions while major sports venues can pack them in at 100 per cent,” said Kelly.
“To be clear, it is good news that Ontario is lifting capacity limits. But doing so for the big guys and not the small makes no sense and leads to questions, once again, as to why a government would so actively favour large firms over small.”
Ottawa sees highest one-day number of new COVID-19 cases this week
Ottawa Public Health is reporting 48 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday, the highest one-day increase in cases in six days.
Seventeen of the 48 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday involved residents under the age of 20.
Since the first case of COVID-19 in Ottawa in March 2020, there have been 30,231 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, including 598 deaths. No new deaths linked to COVID-19 were reported on Saturday.
COVID-19 Cases in Ottawa
Infogram
Coaches, officials, volunteers must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for indoor sports in Ottawa
Coaches, volunteers and officials must now be fully vaccinated to participate in indoor organized sports in Ottawa.
Ottawa’s medical officer of health issued a Letter of Instruction to coaches, volunteers and officials, making COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for indoor events in the capital.
“We know that key risk factors for COVID-19 transmission include close contact, closed spaces, crowded places, prolonged exposure and forceful exhalation, all of which are prevalent with indoor organized sport activities,” said Dr. Vera Etches in a statement this week.
“Requiring these individuals to be fully vaccinated provides enhanced protection for our community – especially children who are not yet eligible for a vaccine – and further reduces additional risk associated with indoor organized sports.”
