What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Tuesday, March 23

Recent developments:

• Ottawa is reporting 64new COVID-19 cases and one death.
• Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties set a new monthly case high.
• TheEOHU andOutaouais could soon move to the more restrictive red zone.

What's the latest?

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) recorded 64 new cases ofCOVID-19 on Tuesday and onedeath.

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, which moved quickly from green-zone rules to the red zone,reported 13 more COVID-19 cases.March 2021 is now its month with the most cases.

The health authorities for the Gatineau, Que., area and east of Ottawa have said their regions are close to moving totheir provincialred zones.

How many cases are there?

As of Tuesday, 16,252 Ottawa residents havetested positive for COVID-19. There are currently 755known active cases, 15,040resolved cases and457deaths.

Public health officials have reported more than29,100COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, including more than26,800resolved cases.

Elsewhere in eastern Ontario, 134people have died ofCOVID-19 and 170 people have died in western Quebec.

Akwesasnehas had more than 250 residents test positive on the Canadian side of the border and sevendeaths. It's had more than 530 cases when its southern section is added in.

Kitigan Zibihas had22confirmed cases andTyendinaga Mohawk Territoryhas had seven, with one death.

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?

The province's science advisors are among the experts sayingOntario is in its thirdwave of the pandemic, whileOPHsaid last week the city's spread of COVID-19 is getting out of control.

Eastern Ontario now ranges from red to greenunder the province's colour-coded pandemic scale. Restaurants, gyms, personal care servicesand non-essential businesses are open across theregion.

Ottawa and Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties arein the red zone, whichmeans allgatherings are capped at five people inside and 25 outside.

Restaurantsin red zones recently saw the rules change for indoor dining, with the maximum allowable capacityincreased to 50 per cent, up to a maximum of 50people. Theatres areclosed in red zones,andteam sportsgames andscrimmages are banned.

Going red also meansonly leavinghome for essential reasons and not having indoorvisitors.

Local health unitscan also set their own rules, like what Kingston's is doing around gatheringsand Lanark County's is doing for sports.

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Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, medical officer of health in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, says the rapid rise in cases, including a growing percentage of virus variants, will likely land the region in the red zone within a week.

In western Quebec,gyms and restaurants can openunder its orange zone rules, as cannon-essential businesses.

Outdoor gatherings of up to eight peopleareallowed. The region'scurfew hoursare 9:30 p.m. until 5 a.m.

Grenville-sur-la-Rouge, Que.,and some of the surroundingarearemains in red.

Rules around sports loosen on Friday.

People across the Ottawa-Gatineau areaare asked to only have close contact with people they live with, be masked and distanced for all other in-person contact and only travel for essential reasons, especially between differently coloured zones.

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, even after getting a vaccine. New coronavirus variants can be more contagious and are spreading quicklyin someplaces.

This means it isimportantto take precautions now and in the futurelikestaying home while sick and getting help with costs if neededkeeping hands and surfaces clean and maintaining distance from anyone you don't live with, even with a mask on.

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Masks, preferably ones that fit snugly and havethree layers, aremandatory in indoor public settingsin Ontarioand Quebec.

OPH says residents shouldwear masks outside their homes whenever possible.

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With more contagious COVID-19 variants on the rise, some experts believe the general public in Canada should be wearing N95-style masks, especially now that supply issues are less of a concern.

Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems stay home as much as possible and gethelp with errands.

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

Peoplehaveto show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test to enter Canada by land without a fineandhave to pay for their stay in a quarantine hotel if entering by air.

Vaccines

Four COVID-19 vaccines havebeenapprovedin Canada.

• Health Canada says AstraZeneca shot is safe as U.S. questions trial data
• Nearly 200,000 Ontarians aged 80+have not signed up for a COVID-19 vaccine

Canada's task force said first dosesoffersuch strong protection that people can wait up to four months to get a second, meaningjurisdictions can spread first doses widely.

About 220,000doseshave been given out in the wider regionsince mid-December, including about 92,000 dosesin Ottawa and about28,000 in western Quebec.

Ontario's first doses generally went to care home residents and health-care workers.

The provincewidecampaign has expanded further into Phase 1to include more priority groups such as all people over age 75. Peoplecanbook appointments online or over the phone.

Phase 2 should includepeople with underlying health conditions in April, followed bypeoplewho can't work from homeor are 60 and older in June.

Phase 3, slated to begin in July, will involve vaccinating anyone older than 16.

Local health units have some flexibilityin the larger framework,so check their websitesfor details. What each local health unit is managing themselves can differ fromwhat they're leaning on the provincial system to do.

Some Ottawans in certain neighbourhoods can check their eligibility online andcall the city at 613-691-5505 for an appointment. So can Indigenous people over age 40.

People whoare above or turningage60 in the Kingston areacan contactone of nearly 50 pharmacies for a vaccine appointmentas part of a pilot project.

Quebec also started by vaccinatingpeople in care homes and health-care workers.

The vaccination plan now coverspeople age 65and olderatsix western Quebecclinics, followed byessential workers and finally the general public.

Officials expect everyone over the age of 65 to be vaccinated by mid-April and everyone who wants a shot to be able to get one byby Fte nationale on June 24.

People who qualify can make an appointment online or over the phone. Pharmacists there will alsobe giving shots.

Symptoms and testing

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 tend to have an upset stomach and/or a rash.

If you have severe symptoms, call 911.

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

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 who arepart 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 and as of today, they won't be given at the Heron and Ray Friel test sites in Ottawa.

Check with your area's health unit for clinic locations and hours. Some are offering pop-up or mobile clinics.

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 Maniwakiand Petite-Nation.

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

First Nations, Inuit and Mtis:

Akwesasne has a COVID-19 test siteby appointment only and a curfew of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

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.

People inPikwakanagancan book a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-1175.Anyone inTyendinagawho's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603 and in Kitigan Zibi, 819-449-5593.

Inuit in Ottawa can call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing andvaccines, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays.

For more information

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