COVID-19 in Ottawa: Weekly roundup April 23, 2021

Here’s the City’s weekly roundup of information in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can also get daily City updates on Facebook(link is external), Twitter(link is external), and Instagram(link is external):

Covid-19 and Vaccine Updates:

• To date, more than 302,900 doses of vaccines have been administered in Ottawa. This means that 30% of Ottawa residents who are eligible for a vaccine have received at least one dose.
• The Provincial Emergency and Stay-at-Home Order(link is external) remains in effect, requiring everyone to remain at home except for essential purposes.
• Pregnant individuals will be able to pre-register for a vaccine appointment starting Monday, April 26 at 2 pm. These individuals, as well as others previously identified as highest risk priority and their caregivers, can visit Ottawa Public Health to pre-register(link is external).
• For compliance with the enhanced restrictions under the extended Province’s Stay-at-Home Order, the City of Ottawa has closed some of its recreation amenities.
• Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Vera Etches, has issued an Order under the Health Protection and Promotion Act(link is external) to require wearing masks at or within five metres of playground equipment, which remain open under the Province’s enhanced Stay-at-Home restrictions.
• The City continues to administer vaccines in accordance with the Province’s Vaccine Distribution Plan(link is external) while prioritizing those that are at highest risk of serious illness and death.
• Complete our COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Screening Tool(link is external) to see if you can currently receive the COVID-19 vaccine and learn how to book an appointment.
• The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is available in select Ottawa pharmacies for eligible people ages 40 or older in 2021. Find your closest pharmacy(link is external).
• The City is working with our partners at The Ottawa Hospital and Queensway Carleton Hospital to deliver vaccines to thousands of local health care workers. For more information on each of these delivery channels, including eligibility and booking information, please visit the OPH Covid-19 Vaccination page(link is external).

The latest from Ottawa Public Health

• “I want to remind people who have received a vaccine or are getting one soon – whether one dose or both – that you will need to keep up with the behaviours like maintaining distance from others, wearing a mask, and keeping your hands clean, when with people outside of your households, until more people are fully vaccinated.” Read the latest statement from Dr. Vera Etches(link is external).
• The AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective at reducing the risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. The best COVID vaccine to get is the one you are eligible to get first. Click here for more info(link is external).
• Protecting communities by building immunity: Find vaccine and COVID-19 resources(link is external) for First Nation, Métis and Inuit community members age 16 and older. Call today to book a vaccine appointment: 613-691-5505. You will be asked to provide proof of Indigenous identity/status.
• If you are Inuit and live in the Ottawa area, the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team(link is external) is offering COVID-19 vaccines at its clinic. To book an appointment, call 613-740-0999, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 4 pm.
• Please join us on Sunday, April 25 from 2 pm to 4 pm for a Bengali virtual vaccine town hall on Zoom. OPH will answer your questions and provide credible information about the COVID-19 vaccine in Bengali. To join, click here, and visit our calendar(link is external) for upcoming multilingual COVID-19 virtual town halls.
• Check out OPH’s multilingual resources to get answers to your COVID-19 vaccine questions in Arabic, Somali, and Simplified Chinese:
  • COVID-19 Arabic Portal(link is external) - Ottawa Public Health
  • COVID-19 Somali Porta(link is external)l - Ottawa Public Health
  • COVID-19 Simplified Chinese Portal(link is external) - Ottawa Public Health
• We all have our own reasons for choosing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Find out what your community is saying in our multilingual video series(link is external).

In case you missed it

• New rules on what’s open and what’s closed can be confusing – especially around parks and play equipment. The City’s Park Ambassador Program is now back to give helpful guidance.
• Since the beginning of the pandemic, Ashley Wing has been working the Ottawa Public Health phone lines, connecting people with information about all things related to COVID-19.
• Read the latest updates from the Ottawa Police Service on its Interprovincial Crossings Operation(link is external).
• Have fun, stay active, and be COVIDwise in our parks.

Contact us

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1(TTY: 613-580-2401). You can also connect with us through Facebook(link is external), Twitter(link is external), and Instagram(link is external).