March 12 Newsletter 2021

March 12, 2021 newsletter from Rawlson King, City Councillor for Rideau-Rockcliffe.

COVID-19 Vaccination Updates in Ottawa 

Vaccination bookings for residents 90 and over to resume on Monday, March 15 

COVID-19 vaccination appointments have been successfully booked for many Ottawa residents aged 90 and older this week. 

Bookings for appointments at the Nepean Sportsplex began on Wednesday. All available appointments have been booked. 

Additional appointments will be available on Monday, March 15 with the launch of the provincial booking system. Residents are advised to wait until then and not to call for appointments today or on the weekend. 

Residents of all ages who are not yet eligible for the vaccine are encouraged to follow announcements on the City of Ottawa and OPH websites and social media channels, and from local news media, to learn when they can receive their vaccine. These are also the best way for residents to learn when the provincial booking system goes live on March 15. 

Vaccines will be available to more Ottawa residents  

As of this past Monday, March 8 2021, residents who were born in or before 1941, or who are adult recipients of chronic home care, and who live in the designated communities identified by Ottawa Public Health, including Manor Park and Overbrook, are eligible to book an appointment to receive their vaccine through a pop-up clinic. Appointments will take place starting today, Friday March 12. 

Patient-facing health care workers: 

As of Wednesday, March 10, patient-facing health care workers (doctors, dentists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physiotherapists, etc.) are able to visit OttawaPublicHealth.ca to pre-register for a vaccination appointment. They will get an email with the details of their appointment when it is their time in the vaccination sequencing. 

First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations: 

First Nation, Inuit and Métis community members who are aged 50 and older are currently eligible for vaccination. Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team is providing vaccinations for Inuit. To book an appointment or for more information, call 613-740-0999. Ottawa Public Health is partnering with Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health to provide a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for First Nation, Inuit and Métis community members aged 50 and older at the St-Laurent Complex, located at 525 Côté Street.

Confirm your eligibility for Vaccination 
To confirm that you are eligible for vaccination, please visit Ottawa Public Health’s COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Screening Tool. Residents who were eligible in previous weeks remain eligible today and throughout the Citywide vaccination process. If you are unable to book an appointment when your eligibility is first announced, you can still receive the vaccine at a later date.   

Booking your appointment 

If you are eligible, please call 613-691-5505 to book your appointment. Service providers can take your call between 7:30 am and 6 pm, Monday to Friday, and 8:30 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. Service is available in multiple languages.   

Very high call volumes are expected for these bookings. If you cannot reach a call agent, you can leave a message and someone will call you back to book an appointment. Walk-ins will not be accepted, so please call in advance to book your appointment. Residents who are not eligible for these clinics are asked not to call this booking phone line, as it is only for eligible residents. Please help to keep phone lines open for those who are eligible to receive a vaccine.  

For more information visit: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/covid-19-vaccine.aspx 

Para Transpo Support for COVID-19 Vaccinations  
 
Para Transpo has created access to a temporary COVID-19 Vaccination Trip Reservation telephone line, at 613-842-3600. It will be available to provide dedicated support to Para Transpo customers booking trips to get COVID-19 vaccinations at specific sites. Using the new Para Transpo COVID-19 Vaccination Trip Reservation telephone service, customers will be able to book trips in advance by calling any day, seven days a week, between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.  

Customers are asked to schedule their COVID-19 vaccination appointment with OPH prior to booking a trip on Para Transpo.  

Information regarding the new temporary Para Transpo COVID-19 Vaccination Trip Reservation telephone line will be posted on Twitter at @OC_Transpo and on www.octranspo.com   

Get COVID-19 Vaccine updates in your inbox  

To make finding vaccine information a little easier, the City of Ottawa has created the COVID-19 Vaccine Update e-subscription. Sign up today and you’ll receive the latest updates on vaccine distribution in the city, delivered to your inbox. It will also include a weekly roundup of COVID-19 and vaccine-related information every Friday. 

All residents, even those who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, are encouraged to register for the e-subscription. It will keep you informed on: 

• who is eligible for the vaccine 
• where clinics are held 
• how and when you can schedule an appointment 
• the latest vaccine information 

To sign up for the e-subscription, make sure you choose the first item: COVID-19 Vaccine Update.  

Alternatively, you can choose City News to receive information on all programs and services at the City of Ottawa, including COVID-19 and vaccination updates. 

Can a Doughnut Save Ottawa? 

Doughnut Economics, a concept originated by Kate Raworth, consists of two concentric rings: a social foundation to ensure that no one is missing out on life’s essentials, and an ecological ceiling ensuring we protect the Earth. These concentric rings form the doughnut – a space where humanity can thrive.   While drawn at a global scale, cities are downscaling the doughnut to meet their needs. 

As Ottawa builds its next Official Plan, Doughnut Economics could lead the way to a thriving city that respects the wellbeing of its people and the planet. Ecology Ottawa and Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) have partnered with many Ottawa organizations, City Councillors and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to host "Can a Doughnut Save Ottawa?" on Wednesday, March 31 from 12pm to 1:30pm. The online event will feature two keynote speakers, Andrew Fanning of Doughnut Economics Action Lab and Jennifer Johana Drouin of the Amsterdam Doughnut Coalition.

Learn more and RSVP here.  

Cleaning the Capital 2021 Registration  

2021 marks the 28th year of the Cleaning the Capital Program! The Cleaning the Capital campaign is a citywide cleanup that occurs in the spring and fall of every year. Residents come together as a community and combine efforts to make our city clean and green. Litter pickup or graffiti removal projects must be registered, and participating teams, upon request, receive a cleanup starter kit to assist them with their projects. Participants who register their cleanups during the campaign’s early bird registration period and/or submit their on-line cleanup reports after their cleanup are eligible to win prizes donated by the campaign's generous sponsors. Early bird registration begins next week, on March 15 2021. To learn more, visit: https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/environment/community-environmental-and-beautification-programs/cleaning-capital-program 

Paint it Up! Funding Applications Available  

If there is a wall in your neighbourhood that keeps falling victim to graffiti vandalism, the Public Works and Environmental Services Department and Crime Prevention Ottawa invite you to Paint it Up! Now in its twelfth year, the Paint it Up! program offers funding for outdoor mural art projects that support graffiti prevention, youth empowerment, community safety and the beautification of Ottawa neighbourhoods. 

• Visit the Crime Prevention Ottawa website to apply 
• Application deadline: All applications must be e-mailed by 4pm on Friday, April 23, 2021.  

Crime Prevention Ottawa will be hosting a virtual information session on Tuesday, March 23, 2021 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Register here.  

For more information visit: https://www.crimepreventionottawa.ca/cpo-initiatives/paint-it-up-graffiti-program/ 

Spring Road Maintenance in Ottawa 

Residents can expect to see the City of Ottawa Roads and Parking team members out in full force across the City as spring road maintenance operations take place before temperatures drop again. 

Clearing Catch Basins 

Catch basins allow water to drain from the road.  They are a critical piece of infrastructure and can be found on the edge of the roadway, or inside the edge of a sidewalk.  They are not found in the centre of the roadway.  In late winter and spring, catch basins should be open and clear of ice and debris so that water can drain from the road.  When the water is flowing off the roads, it is not freezing on the road, and it is not making its way onto resident properties.  Resident support is required to clear local catch basin as a proactive measure.  Residents can find where their local catch basin is online, or by looking for the yellow “T” markings on the roadway. 

During significant rain events or melts, our Roads and Parking team may go into local communities to open up catch basins.  Using backhoes, plows and even shovels, they will clear known problem areas or blocked basins of ice to open them up again.  Residents who spot significant water accumulation that won’t drain or who need assistance in clearing a catch basin can report it online. 

Filling Potholes 

The City’s Roads and Parking teams will be out throughout the spring to fill potholes around the city.  Potholes are filled by cleaning the hole of debris and water, then packing the hole with asphalt and rolling it or pounding it down.  At this time of year, some potholes in high traffic areas may need to be refilled more than once.  This is not due to poor asphalt or workmanship, but can happen if water gets back into the hole preventing the asphalt from forming an adhesive bond with the existing pavement.    

Residents can expect to see the City’s asphalting teams deployed across Ottawa in the coming weeks filling potholes. For residents wishing to report a pothole, please create a Service Request online. 

Ottawa is not unique in facing water and pothole challenges in spring.  Our winter climate and frequent freeze / thaw cycles are hard on infrastructure, and we appreciate the support of residents as our Roads and Parking teams work to complete our operations. 

The Latest COVID-19 Updates for the City of Ottawa     

• “I want to thank each and every one of you for everything you’ve done this past year and continue to do as we brace ourselves for a few more months of hard work and patience. Soon, this pandemic will be behind us. Until then, we need to buy time by keeping up with our public health behaviours: limiting your close contacts to only your household, keeping two metres distance from others, wearing a mask, washing your hands and following public health guidance around self-isolation, staying home and getting tested.” Read the latest statement from Dr. Vera Etches. 
• When will the public be able to get their vaccines? Where will the community clinics be located? Find the answers to these questions (and more) here.   
• What is herd immunity? Find out in this short video! 
• There's been a lot said lately about Ottawa Public Health’s dear social media intern, Bruce. And now, Bruce would like to say a few words. Stay safe and steady as she goes. 
• The City has also announced that vaccination of shelter clients is set to take place in Ottawa. COVID-19 has had a significant impact on Ottawa’s shelter system. The upcoming vaccination of shelter clients is tremendous news for people living and working in shelters. An estimated 860 shelter clients will be vaccinated, starting this week, by Ottawa Inner City Health, working with Ottawa Public Health  
• Read the latest news to find out why Ottawa Public Health is focusing on communities where there is the highest risk of contracting COVID-19 and whether your community is included.   
• Visit the City’s COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution page for more information and check out our FAQs page for answers to questions frequently asked by residents.   

• Ottawa Public Health has launched their updated COVID-19 vaccine page that includes info on the COVID-19 vaccines, answers to your FAQs and information on vaccine distribution in Ottawa. The page will be updated regularly as the vaccine distribution continues.    
• Once the vaccine supply allows, community clinics will open for other residents born in or before 1941 and residents who are receiving chronic home care services. This is expected to take place later in March.