COVID-19: what you need to know Saturday April 16

Content of the article

Ontario

(Reported on Saturday)

Content of the article

ten: New deaths (including data cleaning)

12,606: Total deaths

1,130: People hospitalized and tested positive (some hospitals are not reporting due to the holiday weekend)

185: In intensive care

80: On fans (subset of previous issue)

4,201: New confirmed cases (the number of cases is considered an underestimate with testing limited to certain groups)

1,209,041: Total number of cases

18.5: Test for positivity

New public health measures

Due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, visits to Outaouais hospitals are suspended until further notice. The CISSS de l’Outaouais, the regional agency responsible for health and social services, said the policy was necessary to protect vulnerable patients, health care workers and the general population.

Content of the article

Caregivers can continue to visit to help hospitalized patients. Visits for humanitarian reasons, such as end-of-life visits, are still possible, the agency said.

Women who give birth have the right to a companion. The hospitals included are: Gatineau, Hull, Papineau, Maniwaki, Shawville, Wakefield and Pierre-Janet.

Students, staff and visitors to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board are also required to wear masks again after the board passed a policy requiring it.

Ottawa-Carleton appears to be the only school board in Ontario to reintroduce mandatory masking after the province ended it in most indoor public spaces on March 21.

Wearing a mask is encouraged, but optional in the other three Ottawa-area school boards.

Content of the article

Holiday weekend tips

Ottawa Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches encourages people to wear masks indoors, stay home when sick, limit the size of social gatherings and gather outdoors, if possible, this holiday weekend.

“We are still in the midst of a significant surge and taking these precautions will help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” she said in a statement.

How to get vaccinated

The fourth doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are available to residents of Ontario aged 60 and over as well as First Nations, Inuit, Métis and household members aged 18 and over.

Eligible individuals can book through the COVID-19 Immunization Portal or by calling 1-833-943-3900, through public health units that use their own reservation systems, and at participating pharmacies. Some family doctors also give reminders.

Content of the article

In Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health community clinics and after-school clinics are open for walk-in injections for anyone eligible for a first dose, second dose or booster dose.

Where to get tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa

According to a provincial government announcement on Monday, anyone 70 and older, people 60 and older with fewer than three doses of the vaccine, and people 18 and older with fewer than three doses and at least one risk factor as a chronic disease can now be tested. and assessed for treatment.

Molecular testing in Ontario has been prioritized for people at increased risk and those who live or work in high-risk settings. These tests are processed in the laboratory.

Ottawans can learn more on the Ottawa Public Health website and what to do if they have symptoms, test positive or are high-risk contacts.

Where to get rapid tests in Ottawa

Ontario is distributing free rapid antigen tests at pharmacies and grocery stores across the province, with Health Minister Christine Elliott saying last week they would be distributed until at least July 31. These tests can be done at home.