COVID-19 in Ottawa: Fast Facts for Aug. 28, 2021

The Ottawa sign on York Street in Ottawa's ByWard Market. (Photo by Jacob Meissner on Unsplash)

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

Fast Facts:

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

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:

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

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

Ontario will unveil COVID-19 vaccine passport system next week, source confirms

The Ontario government will unveil a COVID-19 vaccination passport system in the province, according to a senior government source who spoke to CTV News Toronto.

The source told CTV News Toronto the certificate will be required in non-essential settings, like restaurants and movie theatres.

However, the idea has not yet come before cabinet and a final decision has yet to be made. Premier Doug Ford is expected to meet with his cabinet to discuss the plan next week.

Ford has previously resisted calls for any kind of vaccine passport system, saying he did not want to create a "split society" but businesses have been increasingly demanding proof of vaccination and other local medical officers of health have said they'd consider implementing their own, regionally.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking on the campaign trail, called on Premier Doug Ford to "step up" when it comes to vaccine certificates. The province responded to say Ontario has “the most comprehensive, far-ranging mandatory vaccination policies for high-risk settings in the country.”

Quebec and B.C. have already introduced their own proof of vaccination programs.

Ottawa sees highest one-day COVID-19 case count since early June

Ottawa Public Health said Friday that 47 more people in the city tested positive for COVID-19, which is the highest one-day increase in the case count since early June.

OPH had reported 55 new cases on June 4, 2021.

To date, Ottawa has seen 28,239 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19. No new deaths were reported Friday. There has not been a death linked to COVID-19 in Ottawa since July 8, 2021.

Another 20 existing cases are now considered resolved. The number of known active cases is up to 185. There are four people in hospital with one in the ICU.

Masks mandatory for all students in French Catholic board

Masks will be mandatory for all students, even in JK and kindergarten, and there will be no field trips in September at Ottawa's French Catholic schools this fall.

The Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE) sent out a note Friday ahead of a full-time return to class on Aug. 31, outlining some additional COVID-19 measures in the board's 45 elementary schools and 13 secondary schools, including allowing access to lockers, libraries and cafeterias, but restricting visitors.

There will also be additional health and safety measures in place, above and beyond what is required by the Ministry of Education and Ottawa Public Health, including compulsory mask use when singing or playing sports indoors.

Students will not need to wear masks outside, but elementary school students will remain in cohorts.

The CECCE will also request proof of vaccination from all school staff. Staff who will not be vaccinated will be required to undergo training and perform regular screening tests as mandated by the Ministry of Education.

For more stories about the 2021-22 school year, check out our back-to-school page.

COVID-19 Testing Taskforce ready for back-to-school testing

Ottawa's COVID-19 Testing Taskforce says it is prepared for an increase in COVID-19 testing volumes in September when students return to school.

Last September, parents lined up for hours outside of assessment centres to have their children undergo COVID-19 testing before they could return to classrooms, but the taskforce is saying this year will be different because the capacity is already there.

Local laboratories are also able to offer results within 24 to 48 hours. Lately, the wait time between when a swab is taken at an assessment site to the result has been less than a day.

The Ontario government also released an updated list of symptoms that require testing, which the Ottawa taskforce expects will reduce the burden on assessment centres.

For more stories about the 2021-22 school year, check out our back-to-school page.

Health Canada authorizes use of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in children 12 and older

There is now a second COVID-19 vaccine option for children 12 to 17.

Health Canada said Friday that it considers Moderna's vaccine to be "safe and effective at preventing COVID-19" in children between the ages of 12 and 17.

Previously, the only vaccine available for children was the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Both vaccines have been approved for adults since late 2020.

Children should be given two doses of the mRNA vaccine scheduled one month apart for maximum protection against COVID-19, Health Canada says, following similar guidelines for adults.