City heading toward red zone, Etches warns

Ottawa's medical officer of health is warning thatCOVID-19 transmission rates are again heading in the wrong direction, and could once again place the city on a path toward tighter restrictions.

Ottawa is currently an orange zone, according tothe province's colour-coded scale that influences public health directives on businesses, gatherings and other activities. But on Wednesday, Dr. Vera Etches said the city is heading toward red.

We could be discussing whether we need to go ahead with [tighter restrictions] next week.- Dr. Vera Etches

"We are not heading towardyellow, we are heading towardred, and that's not OK," she told city councillors. "We could be discussing whether we need to go ahead with [tighter restrictions] next week."

Ottawa has never been declared a red zone since the province instituted its new colour-coded system earlier this month,but back in October the city was moved into what's known as "modified Stage 2," with restrictions on most indoor activities.

If Ottawa moves into the red zone, indoor gatherings will be limited to a maximum of five people, restaurants can't have more than 10 customers indoors and cinemas will beclosed.

Ottawa may be headed for the red zone once again, OPH says

4 years ago

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Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawas medical officer of health, says the agency is still struggling to find the source of some infections and is still seeing risky behaviours from residents.

Etches said some keyindicators show transmission of the virus is no longer in decline, and said the recent lifting of some restrictions might be giving residents a false sense of security.

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"Ottawa Public Health is seeing people who test positive, who work in offices and pharmacies and religious communities and coffee shops, grocery stores, warehouses, home care security it is widespread," Etches said.

"I just don't want people to have a sense [that] it's under control."