What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 5

Recent developments:

• Celebrate Thanksgiving with household members only, says city's top doctor.
• Confusion continues amongboth patients and doctorsover the city's COVID-19 test sites, as online booking set to start tomorrow.
• Eastern Ontarioamateur leagues will continue in the Ottawa region for now.
• Ottawa logs82 more cases of COVID-19 as provincial testing changes set in.
• Quebec isexpected to strengthen some pandemicrules, join national alert app today.
• Canadians struggling with pandemic fallout can now apply for two new benefits.

What's the latest?

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is advising people to celebrate Thanksgivingonly with members of their immediate household, stating thatgatherings between households are simply too risky.

"Perhaps this year, Thanksgiving can be a virtual supper," said medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches Monday.

According to today's daily update from OPH, Ottawa has 82 more cases of COVID-19 and one more death.

The update comes as the province transitions to testing by appointment only, in part toaddress a backlog of tens of thousands of swabs. That could give aslightly different snapshot of the pandemicthis week.

Asonline booking for COVID-19 tests is set to be up-and-running across Ontario starting tomorrow, people were still turning up at at leastone Ottawa assessment centre for walk-in tests Monday morning and then being turned away, causing confusion.

The governing body that regulates amateur hockey across eastern Ontario says it will allow its modified programs to continue, in spite of an increase in COVID-19 cases across the province.

Premier Doug Ford announced more money Monday for smaller class sizes and remote learning support in hard-hit areas of the province like Ottawa and Toronto. Ottawa school boards are getting $6 million.

Todaythe Quebec government is makingmasks mandatory for high school students,shutting down schoolgyms and banning school team sports in its red zones as it records its highest number of new COVID-19 cases ever.

It is also expected to join the national COVID Alert app.

Canadians struggling with the fallout from the pandemic are now able to apply for two new federal benefits if they're on sick leave or if they're a caregiver.

How many cases are there?

As of the most recent OPHupdate on Monday, 4,790 Ottawa residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

That includes847known active cases, 3,649resolved cases and 294 deaths.

Overall, public health officials have reported more than 7,200 cases of COVID-19 across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, with more than 5,600 of those cases considered resolved.

COVID-19 has killed 104 people in the region outside Ottawa: 52 people have died in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties, 34 in the Outaouais and 18 in other parts of eastern Ontario.

What's open and closed?

Health officials are telling people to see fewer people in person, or stricter rules will force them to.

• The struggle to strike the right COVID-19 balance

Ontario joined OttawaFriday in telling people tolimit close contact only to those living in their own household. People who live alone may consider having close contact with another household.

The province has put in new capacity limits at Ottawa gyms, restaurants and banquet halls.

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Ottawa's medical officer of health issued a dire warning to residents Friday, saying the entire health-care system is on the verge of collapse if individuals don't take personal responsibilityto slow the spread of COVID-19.

Visits to long-term care homes in Ottawa are now restricted to staff, essential visitors and one or two caregivers only.

Ottawa and Kingston, Ont., public health officials are ordering anyone with symptoms or who has been identified as a close contact of someone who's tested positive to immediately self-isolate or face a fine of up to $5,000 per day in court.

Kingston has also tightened its distancing rules in city parks and increased fines.

In western Quebec, the health unitsays residents need to stop gathering until the end of October or, like Montreal and Quebec, it will raise the alert level to the highest one possible and peoplewon't be allowed to see anyone they don't live with.

The region is currently onorange alert, which means private and organized gathering limits, earlier closing hours for restaurants and recommendations against travelling to other regions.

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What about schools?

There have been about120schools in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a staff or student, most of them in Ottawa.

Few have had outbreaks, which are declared by a health unit in Ontario when there's a reasonable chance someone who has tested positive caught COVID-19 during a school activity.

Many school boards have a list of affected schools:

• Conseil des coles catholiques du Centre-Est
• Conseil des coles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario
• Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
• Ottawa Catholic School Board

Ontarioupdated its COVID-19 screening protocols for children last week, no longer telling them to isolate andget testedif their only symptom is a runny nose, headache, sore throat, fatigue or diarrhea.

Distancing and isolating

The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes or speaks onto someone or something.

People can be contagious without symptoms.

This means people should take precautions likeworking from home, keeping hands and frequently touched surfaces clean, socializing outdoors as much as possible and maintaining distance from anyone you don't live with evenwhen you have a mask on.

WATCH | COVID-19 messaging on TikTok:

Masks are mandatory in indoor public settings in Ontario and Quebec. They're recommended outdoors when peoplecan't stay the proper distance from others.

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

Anyone who has travelled recently outside Canada must go straight home and stay there for 14 days.

Most people with a confirmed COVID-19 case in Quebec can end their self-isolation after 10 days if they have not had a fever for at least 48 hours and has had no other symptom for at least 24 hours.

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 cough, vomiting and the loss of taste or smell.

Less common symptoms include chills, headaches and pink eye. Children can develop a rash.

Getting tested any sooner than five days after potential exposure may not be useful since the virus may not yet be detectable, says OPH.

If you have severe symptoms, call 911.

Where to get tested

The Ontario government recommends only getting tested if you have symptoms, or if you've been told to by your health unit or the province because of your work.

• Confused about COVID-19 testing guidelines? Find out if you should get tested

Ontario health officials have said they're trying to add more capacity, as the backlog of tests at the province's labs had blossomed to more than 90,000 as of late last week.

In eastern Ontario:

Anyone seeking a test now hasbook an appointment online. Bear in mind that some of the following test sites may be in the midst of transitioning to the new model.

For example,eastern Ontario sites that were already appointment-only are generally open today, which includes testing for childrenat Ottawa'sBrewer Arena andCoventry Road site.

Most of Ottawa's testing happens at one of four permanent sites, with additional mobile sites wherever demand is particularly high.

A test clinic is expected to open at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex in Orlans, likely by mid-October.

People without symptoms, but who are part of the province's targeted testing strategy, can make an appointment at select Ottawa pharmacies.

In the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, thedrive-thru test centrein Casselmanis now closed.People in that area are asked to go to the Limogesdrive-thru centre when it reopens Wednesday.

Its site in Hawkesbury is closed today as part of the testing transition.

The health unit also has sites in Alexandria, Rockland, Cornwall and Winchester.

In Kingston, the city's test site is now at the Beechgrove Complex near King Street West and Portsmouth Avenue.

People can still visit today to schedule appointments. An online booking system will launch Tuesday.

Napanee's test centre is open daily for people who call ahead.

WATCH | Some universities making further pandemic changes:

People can arrange a test in Bancroft, Belleville, Picton or Trenton by calling the centre. Only Belleville and Trenton run seven days a week and also offer online booking.

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanarkhealth unit says its Brockvilleand Kemptville sites aretransitioning to the new model, but people who meet the testing criteria can still show up Monday and will likely be given an appointment that day.

Its sites in Smiths Falls and Almonte were already appointment-only and are open as usual.

Renfrew County residents should call their family doctor. Those without access to a family doctor can call 1-844-727-6404 for a test or if they have health questions, COVID-19-related or not.

People can also visit the health unit's website to find out where testing clinics will be taking place each week.

In western Quebec:

Outaouais residents can make an appointment in Gatineau seven days a week at 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond or 617 avenue Buckingham.

They can now check the approximate wait time for the Saint-Raymond site.

There are recurring clinics by appointment in communities such as Gracefield, Val-des-Monts and Fort-Coulonge.

They can call 1-877-644-4545 if they have other questions, including if walk-in testing is available nearby.

Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms or who have been in contact with someone with symptoms. People without symptoms can also get a test.

First Nations, Inuit and Mtis:

Akwesasne has had 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases, most linked to a gathering on an island in July.

It has a mobile COVID-19 test site available by 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 reasons is asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

• COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: What you need to know this week

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

People in Pikwakanagan can book an appointment for a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259.

Anyone in Tyendinaga who's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603 to talk to a nurse.

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.