Across the province, 84.72 per cent of eligible residents have received one vaccine dose.
Author of the article:
Jacquie Miller
Publishing date:
Sep 16, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 5 minute read • 5 Comments
NEW COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA AND ONTARIO
Ontario reported 864 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and three more deaths.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
There were 60 new cases in Ottawa and no new deaths, according to Ottawa Public Health. Nine people in Ottawa are hospitalized with the disease, with three of them in intensive care.
In areas just outside of Ottawa, the province reported 17 new COVID-19 cases in the Eastern Ontario health unit; 10 in Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington; five in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark and none in Renfrew County.
The number of Ontario residents in hospital intensive care units with COVID-19, a key indicator of the health system’s ability to cope, inched up to 191, compared to 188 patients reported Wednesday.
As a comparison, at the peak of the pandemic’s third wave in April, 828 Ontario residents were in intensive care units with COVID-19.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The number of ICU patients began a slow upward climb in August as the province battles another surge of the pandemic fuelled by the highly contagious Delta variant.
Of the 191 Ontario patients currently in the ICU, 178 are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or their vaccination status is unknown, while 13 patients are fully vaccinated, Health Minister Christine Elliott tweeted Thursday morning.
THE LATEST COVID-19 NEWS IN OTTAWA
Bylaw chief Roger Chapman said his department has been reviewing the Ontario government regulations on the vaccine passports, which go into effect on Wednesday. He said he’s surprised the rules are so “basic.”
The bylaw department is scheduled to meet with BIAs on Friday morning to address questions about the provincial vaccine passport system, Chapman said.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
“We’re not anticipating a huge increase in call volume related to this,” Chapman said during a community and protective services committee meeting on Thursday. He pointed to the local restaurant industry’s overwhelming compliance in following government regulations related to COVID-19.
Coun. Diane Deans noted some businesses are concerned about unruly customers who will be asked to show proof of vaccines.
Chapman said businesses should call police if someone is causing problems after refusing to produce proof.
Ottawa Public Health also reported one new outbreak at a school. Four schools in the city now have outbreaks: Michaëlle-Jean, Marius-Barbeau and de la Découverte elementary schools and Franco-Cité secondary school.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The outbreak at Franco-Cité was not yet reported on the OPH website, but the French Catholic school board included the information on its daily COVID-19 update Thursday morning. There are five people with laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Franco-Cité and one resolved case, according to the school board. Seven classes have been sent home to isolate but the school remains open.
There are another five ongoing outbreaks in child cares and camps, says OPH.
Ottawa Public Health also reported one new outbreak in a health-care facility or institution and one in the community on Thursday.
COVID-19 VACCINE NEWS AND UPDATES
The number of eligible Ontario residents who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine has reached 78.5 per cent, the province reported. Across the province, 84.72 per cent of eligible residents have received one dose.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
The vaccine has been approved for people age 12 and up.
Ontario’s vaccination certificate program, which requires proof of vaccination to enter some non-essential businesses, kicks in Sept. 22. Residents can download and print their vaccination receipt now and a certificate with a QR code will be available by Oct. 22.
COVID-19 across Canada
As Alberta faces a COVID-19 crisis that threatens to collapse its health system in just over a week, Premier Jason Kenney has reintroduced limits on gatherings along with elements of a vaccine passport system.
The United Conservative government declared a state of public health emergency on Wednesday, asking for help from other provinces to use their intensive care beds and staff while prepping its triage protocols, which would see doctors forced to choose who gets life-saving treatment and who does not.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
“Unless we slow (virus) transmission, particularly amongst unvaccinated Albertans, we simply will not be able to provide adequate care to everyone who gets sick,” Kenny said, adding hospitals may run out of staff and intensive care beds within the next 10 days.
Alberta has more than 18,000 active COVID-19 cases, by far the highest in Canada. There are 269 patients in intensive care in a system set up for 173. Of the 269 patients in ICUs, 218 have COVID-19 — the vast majority unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
Alberta has been lagging on vaccinations, with less than 72 per cent of those 12 and older fully immunized.
To stem transmission, Kenney’s government introduced an array of measures including a form of the vaccine passport.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Starting Sept. 20, people will need to show proof of vaccination to enter select non-essential businesses, including retail shops, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, concerts and libraries.
However, businesses that opt out of the program can operate at reduced capacity and with distancing rules or restrictions, such as no more than six people at a table in a restaurant for outdoor dining.
In Saskatchewan, the president of the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says it’s illogical that students who are exposed to classmates who are COVID-19 positive are not required to self-isolate.
Patrick Maze says the exemption made by the government does nothing to protect children.
Close-contact pupils can continue to go to school following exposure, but are excluded from extracurricular activities and must wear masks unless eating.
Advertisement
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Only students who have been exposed outside a school setting must self-isolate.
The Ministry of Health did not respond to a request for comment.
A public health order says close contact pupils are exempt from isolation, so that parents don’t have to deal with the burden of taking time off work.
Just over 20 per cent of COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan are in children 12 and under, who are ineligible for a vaccine.
In Quebec, the health minister says the province’s health-care workers will have to have both doses of COVID-19 vaccine by mid-October or risk being suspended.
Christian Dube says he remains firm on his goal of ensuring the 20,000 workers in the network who are not yet fully vaccinated get their shots.
Asked Thursday about the target, Dube says it’s still possible to vaccinate 20,000 health workers — which includes 10,000 who are in direct contact with patients — by the deadline.
But he has asked regional health officials to prepare a contingency plan in the event vaccination targets aren’t met.
— With files from The Canadian Press
Sign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.
By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300
Read More
Photo Credit: