What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Wednesday, Jan. 20

Recent developments:

• Students in Ottawa will not return to the classroom Monday as planned.
• COVID-19 appears to bereceding in Ottawa, but Dr. Vera Etches is urging residents to remainvigilant.
• Ottawa is reporting 67 new cases of COVID-19 and two more deaths.
• Five more people have died of COVID-19 in western Quebec.

What's the latest?

Ottawa is reporting 67 more COVID-19 cases Wednesday and two more deaths.

During a virtual news conferenceWednesday, Ottawa's Medical Office of HealthDr. Vera Etches told reportersthere are several positive signs indicating Ottawa has turned a corner, including a decline in the city's test positivity rate. But Etches reminded residents to continue following public health advice to keep it that way.

Also on Wednesday, Ontario released a list of public health regions wherein-person learning can resume for both elementary and secondary students, startingMonday. Ottawa isn't on the list, but four public health unitsin eastern Ontario were given the green light: Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington; Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District;theRenfrew County and District; and Hastings Prince Edward.

How many cases are there?

As of Wednesday, 12,494Ottawa residents havetested positive for COVID-19. There are 1,057known active cases, 11,028resolved cases and 409deaths fromCOVID-19.

Public health officials have reported more than 22,400 COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, including more than19,700 resolved cases.

One hundred and seven people have died ofCOVID-19elsewhere in eastern Ontarioand 147people have died in western Quebec.

CBC Ottawa is profilingthose who've died of COVID-19. If you'd like to share your loved one's story, pleaseget in touch.

What can I do?

Ontariosayspeople must only leave home when it's essentialto avoidmoreCOVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Places such as Kingston have started to take patients from other regions struggling with hospital capacity.

People who leave home for non-essential reasons can now be fined, though police won't be stopping people just for being outside.

Travel within Ontario is not recommended.Residents who leave the provinceshould isolate for 14 days upon returning.

Private indoor gatherings are not allowed, whileoutdoorgatherings are capped at five. It's strongly recommended people stick to their own households and socializing is not considered essential.

People who live alone are still allowed to interact with one other household.

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Outdoor recreation venues remain open.In-person shoppingis limited to essential businesses. Otherscan offerpickup and delivery.

Child-care centres remain open.

The lockdown rules are in placeuntil at leastFeb. 11.

In western Quebec, residents are also being asked to stay home unless it's essential and not see anyone they don't live with to ease the "very critical" load on hospitals and avoid more delayed surgeries.

An exception for people living alone allows them to exclusivelyvisit one other home.

Quebec's 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfewis now in effect, with fines of up to $6,000 for breaking the rules.

The province hasshut downnon-essential businesses, but has brought students back to classrooms. Like in Ontario, travel from one region of Quebec to another is discouraged.

Those rules arein place until Feb. 8.

Distancing and isolating

The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person speaks, coughs, sneezes, or breathesonto someone or something. These dropletscan hang in the air.

People can be contagious without symptoms.

This means it's important to take precautions likestaying home while symptomatic, keeping hands and frequently touched surfaces clean and maintaining distance from anyone you don't live with even with a mask on.

• What's different about the coronavirus 'variants of concern' flagged by WHO

Masks, preferably with three layers, aremandatory in indoor public settingsin Ontarioand Quebec.

OPH says residents should also wear masks outside their homes whenever possible.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate, as should those who've beenordered to do so by their public health unit. The lengthvaries inOntarioandQuebec.

Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems stay home as much as possible and get friends and family to help with errands.

Anyone returning to Canadamust go straight homeand stay there for 14 days. Air travellershave to show recent proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

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Symptoms and vaccines

COVID-19can range from a cold-like illnessto a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a cough, vomiting and loss of taste or smell.Children candevelop a rash.

If you have severe symptoms, call 911.

Mental healthcan also beaffected by the pandemic,andresources are available to help.

COVID-19 vaccineshave beengiven tohealth-care workersand long-term care residents in most of the region.Renfrew County expects its first doses in early February.

Local health units have said they've given more than 29,200 doses, including about 22,000 in Ottawa and more than 6,700 in western Quebec.

Ontario wants every long-term care resident and worker to have at least one shot by Feb. 15.That's already happened in Ottawa.

That, and Pfizer temporarily slowing its vaccine production to expand its factory, means some areas can't guarantee people will get a second dose three weeks after the first. It may take four to six weeks.

WATCH | The effects of Pfizer's factory work:

Ontario's campaign is still expected toexpand to priority groups such as older adults and essential workers in March or April, with vaccines widely available to the public in August.

Ottawa believes it can have nearly 700,000 residents vaccinated by August.

Quebec is alsogivinga single dose toas many people as possible, starting with people in care homes and health-care workers, then remote communities, then older adults and essential workers and finally the general public.

It said before Pfizer's announcementpeople willget their second dose within 90 days.

WATCH |Scientists racing to understand new COVID-19 variants:

Where to get tested

In eastern Ontario:

Anyone seeking a testshouldbook an appointment.

Ontariorecommends only getting testedif you have symptoms,if you've been told to by your health unit or the province, orif you fit certain other criteria.

People without symptomsbut part of the province's targeted testing strategycan make an appointment at select pharmacies. Travellers who need a test have very few local options to pay for one.

Ottawa has10 permanent test sites, with mobile siteswherever demand is particularly high.

TheEastern Ontario Health Unithas sites in Cornwall, Hawkesbury, Rockland and Winchester. ItsAlexandria and Casselman sites will reopen next week.

People canarrange a testin Picton over the phoneor Bancroft, Belleville and Trenton, where online booking is preferred.

TheLeeds, Grenville and Lanarkhealth unit has permanent sites in Almonte, Brockville,Kemptvilleand Smiths Falls and a mobileclinic.

Kingston's main test site is at theBeechgrove Complex,another is in Napanee.

Renfrew Countytest clinic locationsare posted weekly. Residentscanalso call their family doctor or 1-844-727-6404 with health questions.

In western Quebec:

Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms and their contacts.

Outaouais residentscan make an appointment in Gatineauat 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond or 617 ave.Buckingham. They cancheck thewait timefor the Saint-Raymond site.

There arerecurring clinics by appointmentin communities such as Maniwaki,Fort-Coulonge and Petite-Nation.

Call 1-877-644-4545 with questions, including if walk-in testing is available nearby.

First Nations, Inuit and Mtis:

Akwesasnehas had more than 130 residents test positive on the Canadian side of the borderand five deaths. More than 240people have tested positive across the community.

Itscurfew from 11 p.m. to5 a.m. is back and ithasa COVID-19 test siteby appointment only.

Anyone returning to the community on the Canadian side of the international border who's been farther than 160 kilometres away or visited Montreal for non-essential reasonsis asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

Kitigan Zibilogged its first case in mid-December and has had a total of 18. TheMohawks of the Bay of Quintehad its only confirmed casein November.

• COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: Over 5,000 active cases in First Nations

People inPikwakanagancan book a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259.Anyone inTyendinagawho's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603.

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.

For more information

• Ottawa Public Health.
• Your localeastern Ontario health unit.
• TheOntario Ministry of Health(in several languages).
• TheCentre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais.
• ThePublic Health Agency of Canada.