OTTAWA —
Ottawa Public Health is reporting 240 more people in Ottawa have tested positive for COVID-19, the highest single-day case count since the start of the pandemic.
The previous watermark was 234 cases reported on Jan. 9, 2021 in the middle of the post-Christmas spike. This also marks the tenth straight day of daily reports of more than 100 cases.
Ottawa Public Health is reporting a total of 17,825 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa.
One more person has died, bringing the city’s pandemic death toll to 467 residents.
Across Ontario, 3,009 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, along with 16 new deaths and 1,819 newly resolved cases. The province didn’t provide an official update on Good Friday, but on Saturday said there were 3,089 newly confirmed cases reported on Friday, along with 23 deaths and 1,925 newly resolved cases. Public Health Ontario reported 205 new cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa on Saturday. Figures from the province often differ from those provided by Ottawa Public Health in its local update later each day because of different data collection times.
The new figures come on the first day of Ontario’s latest provincewide “shutdown”, which has forced indoor dining, patio dining, gyms and salons closed for at least 28 days.
The key monitoring rate of new cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days is now above 100.
OTTAWA’S KEY COVID-19 STATISTICS
Ottawa entered Ontario’s COVID-19 “shutdown” at 12:01 a.m. April 3.
Ottawa Public Health data:
COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (March 26-April 1): 104.3
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 6.5 per cent (March 26-April 1)
Reproduction number: 1.13 (seven day average)
Reproduction values greater than 1 indicate the virus is spreading and each case infects more than one contact. If it is less than 1, it means spread is slowing.
VACCINES IN OTTAWA
As of April 2:
First vaccine doses administered: 124,462
Second vaccine doses administered: 26,824
Total doses received: 176,410
OPH says the city received a shipment of 36,270 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on March 29.
VARIANTS OF CONCERN
Ottawa Public Health data*:
Total B.1.1.7 (UK variant) cases: 23
Total B.1.351 (South Africa variant) cases: 6
Total P.1 (Brazil variant) cases: 0
Total variants of concern/mutation cases: 596
Deaths linked to variants/mutations: 4
*OPH notes that that VOC and mutation trends must be treated with caution due to the varying time required to complete VOC testing and/or genomic analysis following the initial positive test for SARS-CoV-2. Test results may be completed in batches and data corrections or updates can result in changes to case counts that may differ from past reports.
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA
There are 44 people in Ottawa-area hospitals with COVID-19 related illnesses on Saturday, up from 43 on Friday.
Fourteen people people are in the intensive care unit.
Of the people in hospital, one person is in their 20s, two are in their 30s, one is in their 40s, 11 are in their 50s (five are in the ICU), 10 are in their 60s (four are in the ICU), eight are in their 70s (four are in the ICU), nine are in their 80s (one is in the ICU) and two are 90 or older.
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
Ottawa Public Health is reporting 1,516 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, up from 1,358 active cases on Friday.
Eighty-one more Ottawa residents have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. Ottawa Public Health reports 15,842 resolved cases of COVID-19 in the capital.
The number of active cases is the number of total cases of COVID-19 minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.
COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY
0-9 years old: 25 new cases (1,374 total cases)
10-19 years-old: 32 new cases (2,297 total cases)
20-29 years-old: 61 new cases (3,920 total cases)
30-39 years-old: 34 new cases (2,568 total cases)
40-49 years-old: 37 new cases (2,265 total cases)
50-59 years-old: 23 new cases (2,132 total cases)
60-69-years-old: 16 new cases (1,252 total cases)
70-79 years-old: 8 new cases (742 total cases)
80-89 years-old: 3 new case (740 total cases)
90+ years old: 1 new case (479 total cases)
Unknown: 0 new cases (3 cases total)
COVID-19 TESTING IN OTTAWA
The Ottawa COVID-19 Testing Taskforce’s next update will be released Monday, April 5.
In its most recent update, the taskforce reported 2,664 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on March 31.
A total of 6,782 lab tests were performed in Ottawa on Wednesday.
The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 35 hours.
Across Ontario, 59,117 COVID-19 tests were completed on Friday.
COVID-19 CASES AROUND THE REGION
Eastern Ontario Health Unit: 44 new cases
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health: 11 new cases
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health: 9 new cases
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: 12 new cases
Renfrew County and District Health Unit: 2 new cases
Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 131 new cases
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 37 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
There are three new outbreaks in schools, two new outbreaks in retirement homes and two new outbreaks in hospitals in Ottawa.
Outbreaks have ended at three schools: Franco-Cité, Louis Riel, and Longfields Davidson Heights. An outbreak is also over at a local group home.
There are five active community outbreaks, down from eight on Friday. Two outbreaks are linked to services workplaces, one is linked to a private social event, one is linked to a restaurant, and one is linked to a recreational workplace.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Fallingbrook Community Elementary School (April 2) [NEW]
Our Lady of Fatima Elementary School (April 2) [NEW]
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Shelter (Jan. 26)
The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus (Feb. 19)
St. Vincent Hospital (March 6)
Extendicare Medex (March 9)
Peter D. Clark LTCH (March 10)
University of Ottawa Heart Institute (March 12)
Chapel Hill RH (March 13)
St. Patrick’s Home (March 14)
St. Vincent Hospital (March 15)
University of Ottawa Heart Institute (March 16)
Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital (March 18)
Portobello Retirement Residence (March 18)
Shelter (March 21)
University of Ottawa Heart Institute (March 21)
Supported Independent Living (March 23)
Timberwalk Retirement Home (March 24)
Longfields Manor (March 24)
University of Ottawa Heart Institute (March 26)
St. Vincent Hospital – 5N (March 26) [NEW]
Jardin Royal Garden (March 27)
Sisters of Charity (March 28)
Landmark Court Retirement Home (March 29)
Hillel Lodge (March 30)
Group Home A-11533) (March 31)
Manotick Place Retirement (March 31) [NEW]
Wildpine Retirement Living (April 1) [NEW]
Queensway Carleton Hospital (April 2) [NEW]
A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, two children or staff or household member cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a 14-day period where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the childcare establishment is considered an outbreak in a childcare establishment.
Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).
Two staff or patient cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a specified hospital unit within a 14-day period where both cases could have reasonably acquired their infection in hospital is considered an outbreak in a public hospital.
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
