What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday, July 29

Recent developments:

• Ontario is revealing its back-to-school plan tomorrow.
• City of Ottawa plans toopennine cardio and weight training rooms in early August.
• Ottawa logs 13 new COVID-19 cases today after five days of increases in the 20s.
• Ontario's independent commission into COVID-19 and long-term care will report back in the spring of 2021.

What's the latest?

Ontario's Education Minister Stephen Lecce is expected to release the province's back-to-school plan on Thursday. Many medical experts, including at CHEO, have recommended children return to the classroom, in some form, in the fall.

Today, Toronto'sSickKidsreleased its recommendations, which includestaggered lunch times, no large assemblies, and mandatory masks for older students.

Ottawa Public Health's Wednesday report logs 13 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 after five days with a case count in the 20s.

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Ontario's independent commission into COVID-19 and long-term care will report back in the spring of 2021. Its commissioners include Dr. Jack Kitts, the former president and CEO of the Ottawa Hospital.

The citysays nine of itscardio and weight training rooms will reopen at recreation centres across Ottawa on of Aug. 4. More fitness facilities are expected to reopen in the fall, the city says.

Residents will have tobook a time slot to work out atthis city website.

How many cases are there?

There have been2,481confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began. The number of deaths is at 264, with the first in more than a month announced Tuesday.

• Ottawa teeters on 'knife edge' as COVID-19 cases mount, says epidemiologist

The majority of cases in the city 1,948 are classified as resolved.

In all, public health officials have reported more than 3,800 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, and more than3,100are resolved.

COVID-19 has killed 102 people in the region outside Ottawa: 52 in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties, 17 in other parts of eastern Ontario and 33 in the Outaouais.

What's open and closed?

Ottawais now in Stage 3 of Ontario's reopening plan, which means many more businesses are allowed to reopen, including dine-in restaurants and movie theatres.

Quebec has similar rules, with its distanced gathering cap going up to 250 peoplein public venues next week.

More national museums open next month, starting with theCanada Agriculture and Food Museum on Saturday.

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Ontario has put three options for the next elementary and secondaryschool year on the table, promising an update thisweek,while post-secondary schools are moving toward more online classes in September.

Children's hospitals in Ontario continue to push for full-time schooland say masks should be mandatory for older students.

Quebec's back-to-school planswill bring students to classrooms again this fall.

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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 meansphysical distancing measures such as working from home, meeting others outdoors as much as possible andkeeping distance from anyone they don't live with or have in their circle, including when you have a mask on.

Indoor gatherings of up to 50 people and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 are now allowed in Ontario. People should still keep their distance from people not in their circle.

Masks are nowmandatory in indoor public settings in all of eastern Ontarioand Quebec, wheretransit officials and taxi drivers are now required to bar access to users over age 12 who refuse to wear a mask.

Masks are recommended outdoors when you can't stay the proper distance from others.

Ottawa's medical officer of health said in mid-July people should be ready for COVID-19 social restrictions well into 2021 or 2022.

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 people with weakened immunesystems and Ottawa Public Health (OPH) recommends people over 70 stay home as much as possible.

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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.

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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-thrucentre in Casselmanthat can handle 200 tests a dayand 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 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.

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.

Renfrew County isproviding pop-up testing in five communities this weekand 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 residentsnow can get a walk-in test inGatineaufive days a week at135blvd.Saint-Raymond and at recurring clinics in communities such asManiwaki, Val-des-Montsand Fort-Coulonge.

They can call 1-877-644-4545 if they have other questions or to make an appointment.

First Nations:

Local communities have declared states of emergency, put in a curfew or both.

Akwesasne has had 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases.Ten of them are active as of Monday, mostlinked back to a gathering on an island with a non-resident who wasn't showing symptoms at the time.

It hasa mobile COVID-19 test site available by appointment only. Anyone returning tothe community on the Canadian side of the international border who's been farther than 80 kilometres away is asked to self-isolate for 14 days. It's 100 miles or 160 kilometres away on the American side.

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.

People in Pikwakanagan can book an appointment for a COVID-19 test by calling613-625-2259.

Kitigan Zibi is planning for an Aug. 29 election with changes depending on the status of the pandemic at that time. It plans on starting to open schools and daycares next month.

For more information

• Ottawa Public Health.
• Your local eastern Ontario health unit.
• The Ontario Ministry of Health (in several languages).
• The Centre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada.