OTTAWA —
Good morning. Here is the latest news on COVID-19 and its impact on Ottawa.
Fast Facts:
Ottawa reaches 7,000 total COVID-19 cases during COVID-19 pandemic
CTV News Ottawa looks at all COVID-19 outbreaks in Ottawa since August 1
New measures helped reduce COVID-19 transmission in organized sports: Ottawa Public Health
Made-in-Ottawa business reopening plan must include good health measures: Infectious disease specialist
Hospitals in Gatineau temporarily postpone services as COVID-19 hospitalizations spike
Testing:
Who should get a test?
Ottawa Public Health says there are four reasons to seek testing for COVID-19:
You are showing COVID-19 symptoms. OR
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. OR
You are a resident or work in a setting that has a COVID-19 outbreak, as identified and informed by Ottawa Public Health. OR
You are eligible for testing as part of a targeted testing initiative directed by the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa:
The COVID-19 assessment centre at 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Appointments are required in most cases but LIMITED walk-up capacity is available.
CHEO Assessment Centre at Brewer Arena – 151 Brewer Way is open seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Testing is available by appointment only.
To book a test for a child under the age of 18, click here.
The COVID-19 care clinic at 595 Moodie Dr. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday for people with escalating symptoms and in need of medical attention.
The COVID-19 care clinic at 1485 Heron Rd. is open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday for people with escalating symptoms and in need of medical attention.
The COVID-19 care clinic at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex – 1585 Tenth Line Rd. is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There are two options available for visitors: a test only or an assessment by a doctor and a test.
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 swallow, 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
Seven-and-a-half months after the first case of COVID-19, Ottawa Public Health reported the 7,000 laboratory-confirmed case in Ottawa.
There were seventy-three new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday. No new deaths were reported.
There have been 7,000 laboratory-cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since March 11, including 323 deaths.
The seven-day average of newly reported cases in Ottawa is 69.4, down from 72.7 last week. The 7-day average peaked at 112.9 on Oct. 11.
CTV News Ottawa’s Ted Raymond looks at the numbers associated with all COVID-19 outbreaks reported in Ottawa since Aug. 1
On Thursday, Ontario data showed only two per cent of COVID-19 outbreaks were linked to bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Just over a week after sounding the alarm over COVID-19 spreading among Ottawa’s sports teams, Ottawa Public Health suggests new measures that came into effect three weeks ago have helped reduce COVID-19 transmission within teams.
On Thursday, public health declared seven COVID-19 outbreaks amid local sports teams resolved. A total of 54 cases of COVID-19 had been linked to the seven outbreaks.
In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health said, “Our most recent data suggests that the new measures which came into effect Oct. 9 have played a role in reducing the occurrence of COVID-19 transmission/outbreaks in these settings.”
Among the new measures announced on Oct. 9 when the Ontario Government moved Ottawa into a modified Stage 2, sports teams were limited to training sessions, with no games or scrimmages.
An infectious disease specialist says plans to reopen bars, restaurants, gyms and other venues during the COVID-19 pandemic must work in tandem with “good public health measures.”
On Friday, Mayor Jim Watson said the city would submit “made-in-Ottawa” proposals to the Ontario Government next week to allow businesses to reopen safely when the 28-day Stage 2 ends on Nov. 6.
“Let’s make no mistake about it; the economic health of our community is critical. We need to do whatever we can to ensure that people are not left behind, that businesses don’t go bankrupt and that all of the collateral damage from people losing their businesses and livelihoods is not forgotten,” said Dr. Abdu Sharkawy during an interview on CTV News at Six.
“But by the same token, if we’re going to make decisions that are going to allow businesses to operate at a certain level or at a certain capacity, they need to be guided very thoughtfully and very carefully, and they must be done in tandem with very good public health measures within the community at large.”
Health officials in the Outaouais are postponing non-essential services and increasing bed capacity to help deal with a spike in COVID-19 related hospitalizations.
There were 24 patients being treated in the designated COVID-19 unit at the Hull Hospital on Friday. Fifty-eight new cases of COVID-19 were announced in the Outaouais region on Saturday.
In a statement, the CISSS de l’Outaouais said it’s taking steps to increase the capacity in the COVID-19 unit to 40 beds, including suspending some non-emergency operations.
The following services will be postponed over the next five days, and then the CISSS de l’Outaouais will reassess the situation:
Non-emergency operations at the Gatineau and Hull Hospitals
The Canadian government says it will donate up to 200,000 vaccine doses to fight the mpox outbreak in Congo and other African countries.
It says the donated doses of Imvamune will come from Canada’s existing supply and will not affect the country’s preparedness for mpox cases in this country.
Minister of Health Mark Holland says the donation “will help to protect those in the most affected regions of Africa and will help prevent further spread of the virus.”
Dr. Madhukar Pai, Canada research chair in epidemiology and global health, says although the donation is welcome, it is a very small portion of the estimated 10 million vaccine doses needed to control the outbreak.
Vaccine donations from wealthier countries have only recently started arriving in Africa, almost a month after the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
A few days after the declaration in August, Global Affairs Canada announced a contribution of $1 million for mpox surveillance, diagnostic tools, research and community awareness in Africa.
On Thursday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said mpox is still on the rise and that testing rates are “insufficient” across the continent.
Jason Kindrachuk, Canada research chair in emerging viruses at the University of Manitoba, said donating vaccines, in addition to supporting surveillance and diagnostic tests, is “massively important.”
But Kindrachuk, who has worked on the ground in Congo during the epidemic, also said that the international response to the mpox outbreak is “better late than never (but) better never late.”
“It would have been fantastic for us globally to not be in this position by having provided doses a much, much longer time prior than when we are,” he said, noting that the outbreak of clade I mpox in Congo started in early 2023.
Clade II mpox, endemic in regions of West Africa, came to the world’s attention even earlier — in 2022 — as that strain of virus spread to other countries, including Canada.
Two doses are recommended for mpox vaccination, so the donation may only benefit 100,000 people, Pai said.
Pai questioned whether Canada is contributing enough, as the federal government hasn’t said what percentage of its mpox vaccine stockpile it is donating.
“Small donations are simply not going to help end this crisis. We need to show greater solidarity and support,” he said in an email.
“That is the biggest lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic — our collective safety is tied with that of other nations.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
