Recent developments:
- Ottawa Public Health reported another 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the city’s total to 2,208 since the start of the pandemic.
- This is the first weekend Ottawa and the rest of eastern Ontario have been in Stage 3.
- Fitness studios, gyms, karaoke bars and dine-in restaurants are among the businesses that can reopen, while playgrounds in city parks are now available to be used.
- Masks are now mandatory in public spaces across western Quebec.
- The latest COVID-19-related shortage appears to be certain types of lumber, including cedar and pressure-treated wood.
What’s the latest?
This is the first weekend Ontario is in Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan. That means people can dine in at restaurants and bars, check out a movie at the cinema or workout on a treadmill at a gym.
Indoor gatherings of up to 50 and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 are also allowed, but people must continue to practise physical distancing.
If you were planning to start building a deck or fence this weekend, you may be out of luck finding the type of wood you want. Both cedar and pressure-treated wood are in low supply.
The National Art Gallery reopened yesterday and is offering free admission throughout the weekend. Going forward, it will be open Thursdays through Sundays.
In the Outaouais, mask usage is now mandatory in all indoor public spaces for the vast majority of people 12 and older. It’s a provincewide mandate that coincides with the start of Quebec’s two-week construction holiday.
The federal government has said it’s not OK for the Blue Jays to play ball in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic, which means no major league baseball games this year in Canada.
How many cases are there?
There have been another seven confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa for a total of 2,208 since the pandemic began, according to Saturday’s report from Ottawa Public Health. The number of deaths remains at 263. The vast majority of cases in the city, 1,855, are classified as resolved.
Gatineau has reported a total of 542 cases.
Kingston health officials reported one new case of COVID-19 Friday, but none on Saturday. The newest case is connected to an outbreak in June that was mainly related to local nail salons. It’s the first case in the region since July 5.
In all, public health officials have reported more than 3,500 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, and more than 3,000 are resolved.
COVID-19 has killed 102 people outside Ottawa: 52 in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties, 17 in other parts of eastern Ontario and 33 in the Outaouais.
The last coronavirus-related death in the region was June 25, according to the health units.
What’s open and closed?
Ottawa is now in Stage 3 of Ontario’s reopening plan. Indoor, distanced gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed, as they are in Quebec, and gatherings of up to 100 people outside are permitted.
Under Stage 3, movie theatres can open, playgrounds are no longer off-limits and indoor dining in restaurants is allowed.
The National Gallery of Canada will reopen Thursdays to Sundays. It officially reopened yesterday and is offering free admission all weekend.
Gatineau plans to open more sports facilities this week. Indoor visits will be allowed again at Ontario’s long-term care homes as of Wednesday.
Quebec’s back-to-school plans bring older students to classrooms again. Ontario has put three options for next school year on the table, while post-secondary schools are moving toward more online classes in September.
Distancing and isolating
The coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People don’t need to have symptoms to be contagious.
That means physical distancing measures such as working from home and in Ontario, staying at least two metres away from anyone they don’t live with or have in their circle.
Ottawa’s medical officer of health said in mid-July people should be ready for COVID-19 social restrictions well into 2021 or 2022.
Masks are now mandatory in indoor public settings in all of eastern Ontario and western Quebec.
Anyone who has symptoms or travelled recently outside Canada must self-isolate for at least 14 days.
Specifically in Ottawa, anyone waiting for a COVID-19 test result must self-isolate at least until they know the result.
The same goes for anyone in Ontario who’s been in contact with someone who’s tested positive or is presumed to have COVID-19.
Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health strongly urges self-isolation for individuals who have weakened immune systems and Ottawa Public Health recommends people over 70 stay home as much as possible.
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
COVID-19 can range from a cold-like illness to a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a dry cough, vomiting and the loss of taste or smell.
Less common symptoms include chills, headaches and pinkeye. The Ontario government says in rare cases, children can develop a rash.
If you have severe symptoms, call 911.
Where to get tested
In eastern Ontario:
In Ottawa any resident who feels they need a test, even if they are not showing symptoms, can now be tested at one of three sites.
Inuit in Ottawa can call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays.
Testing has also expanded for local residents and employees who work in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit area.
There is a drive-thru test centre in Casselman and assessment centres in Hawkesbury and Winchester that don’t require people to call ahead.
Others in Alexandria, Rockland and Cornwall require an appointment.
In Kingston, the Leon’s Centre is now hosting the city’s test site. Find it at Gate 2.
Napanee‘s test centre is open daily for people who call for an appointment.
The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark unit asks you to get tested if you have a symptom or concerns about exposure.
It has a walk-in site in Brockville at the Memorial Centre and testing sites in Smiths Falls and Almonte which require an appointment.
The public health unit in the Belleville area is asking people to call it, their family doctor or Telehealth if they have symptoms or questions.
You can arrange a test in Bancroft, Belleville or Trenton by calling the centre and in Picton by texting or calling.
Renfrew County is also providing pop-up and home testing under some circumstances.
Residents should call their family doctor and those without access to a family doctor can call 1-844-727-6404 to register for a test or if they have health questions, COVID-19-related or not.
In western Quebec:
Outaouais residents should call 1-877-644-4545 if they have symptoms for further assistance, which can include an appointment for a test.
First Nations:
Local communities have declared states of emergency, put in a curfew or both.
Akwesasne has opened a mobile COVID-19 test site available by appointment only. Anyone returning to Akwesasne who’s been farther than 80 kilometres away is asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
Anyone in Tyendinaga who’s interested in a test can call 613-967-3603 to talk to a nurse. Face coverings are now mandatory in its public buildings.
Both councils plan to start up more services next week, though Akwesasne is not opening sports facilities yet.
Pikwakanagan resumed more services July 13.
Kitigan Zibi is planning for an Aug. 29 election with changes depending on the status of the pandemic at that time.
