COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Aug. 4, 2021 - CTV Edmonton

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

Fast Facts:

• Ontario released its back-to-school plan on Tuesday.
• The number of known active COVID-19 cases in Ottawa dropped below 50 after rising over the last two weeks.
• The Canada Recovery Benefit is now unavailable to people who haven’t yet filed their taxes for 2019 or 2020

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

• New COVID-19 cases: One new case on Tuesday
• Total COVID-19 cases: 27,828
• COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 4.0
• Positivity rate in Ottawa: 0.5 per cent (seven day average)
• Reproduction Number: 1.16 (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

• 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 2 p.m.
• The Moodie Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
• The Ray Friel Care and Testing Centre: Open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• 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 summer camp children and staff. All campers and staff must complete the COVID-19 School and Childcare 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

The Ontario government released its back-to-school plan on Tuesday, detailing a return to the classroom, though some details remain unclear.

The province says all students will be returning to the classroom full time in September. Virtual options will still be available. 

Masks will be mandatory for students in Grades 1 to 12, and recommended for kindergarten. They will not be required outdoors. 

The government says school boards must be prepared for potential school closures and must have plans in place, but the government did not outline what might trigger a school closure. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore said, in response to reporters' questions, that he does not expect any schools will have to close this school year.

The government says the section in the back-to-school plan about managing cases and outbreaks in schools is still "forthcoming." 

Ottawa Public Health says one more person in the city has tested positive for COVID-19 and nine more cases are resolved.

To date, Ottawa has seen 27,828 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

No new deaths were reported for a 19th straight day. The death toll from COVID-19 stands at 593 residents.

Active cases are back below 50 Tuesday but remain about 75 per cent higher than they were two weeks ago. The vaccination status of people who have recently tested positive has not been made public at this time.

There are zero active COVID-19 outbreaks in Ottawa.

The federal government says people who have not yet filed their 2019 or 2020 taxes are no longer eligible for the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB).

However, a tax return from 2019 or 2020 is not required if you applied for fewer than 21 periods since September 27, 2020, and you applied for the time period of July 4 to 17, 2021, or earlier.

All other requirements for the CRB remain the same.

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COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Aug. 4, 2021 - CTV Edmonton
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