First death in Ottawa retirement home linked to COVID-19

COVID-19: Outbreaks at Retirement Homes Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera etches joins us with the latest on the recent surge in cases in retirement homes.

OTTAWA — Ottawa Public Health is reporting the first death in a retirement home in Ottawa linked to COVID-19.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told reporters a resident at the Promenade Retirement Residence in Orleans died after testing positive for novel coronavirus.

No other details about the case were released.

Ottawa Public Health is investigating COVID-19 outbreaks at two long-term care homes in Ottawa: Promenade Retirement Residence in Orleans and Maplewood Retirement Community on Industrial Avenue.

Dr. Etches says there are five confirmed cased of COVID-19 at the Promenade Retirement Residence. Dr. Etches says the number of cases at Maplewood Retirement Community is still being determined.

Ottawa Public Health is promising to release more details on Tuesday about the cases in Ottawa's long-term care and retirement homes.

In a message to families, the Promenade retirement residence says 11 staff members are currently in self-isolation. Three staff members are returning as their COVID-19 tests came back negative.

This is the second death in Ottawa linked to COVID-19.

Last Wednesday, Ottawa Public Health announced a man in his 90s died at the Ottawa Hospital, five days after he was admitted with a fever.

The man was living at home, and had no travel history.

There are 130 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa. Twenty-one people are in hospital, with six being treated in the ICU.