Share this Story: Ottawa COVID-19 case hospitalized; first coronavirus death in Ontario
Ottawa COVID-19 case hospitalized; first coronavirus death in Ontario
Ontario has enacted emergency measures that will shut down many aspects of social and cultural life.
Taylor Blewett
Mar 18, 2020 • March 18, 2020 • 6 minute read
Public health workers. Photo by Wayne Cuddington /POSTMEDIA
One of Ottawa's 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 has resulted in a patient being hospitalized, according to the city's medical officer of health on Tuesday.
Ontario health officials also confirmed the province's first death in a patient with COVID-19 and Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency.
Ottawa COVID-19 case hospitalized; first coronavirus death in Ontario Back to video
The deceased 77-year-old man in the Muskoka region was a close contact of another positive case and wasn't listed a confirmed case before he died, but was under investigation for the virus, said a spokesman for Health Minister Christine Elliott.
The man died March 11 at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, and COVID-19 was "recently identified after death," according to a statement from Ontario's chief medical officer of health.
The investigation into the exact cause of death is ongoing.
FILE: Ventilators. Photo by ChaNaWiT /Getty Images/iStockphoto
"This death is further evidence of the increasingly seriousness of the situation we are in, which is why the province has been taking decisive steps to manage the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario," said Dr. David Williams.
Meanwhile, Dr. Vera Etches of Ottawa Public Health said all 13 cases in Ottawa are travel-related and/or resulting from confirmed contact with someone who had traveled. One person in their 60s who contracted the novel coronavirus through travel is now hospitalized, she added.
Etches estimates there might be between 200 and 1,000 undetected cases in the community.
The city said it's evaluating whether there's benefit in calling for a state of emergency "relative to the impact a provincial state of emergency has."
It's been more than 24 hours without a new confirmed case of COVID-19 in Ottawa, according to the provincial authority that tracks and releases this information, and only 12 new cases provincewide were confirmed Tuesday night.
Etches said, however, that people should not read too much into the lack of confirmed COVID-19 cases identified Tuesday.
"What we might be seeing is the impact of travel restrictions; the impact of some of the messaging that people should avoid non-essential travel. It unfortunately doesn't mean we expect to see the numbers continue to drop … we have many travellers outside of the country still."
Etches stressed the importance of self-isolation for 14 days upon returning to Canada from travel abroad, including the United States. About 30 per cent of novel coronavirus cases in Ontario now come from people returning from the U.S., Etches said.
The effect of social distancing on coronavirus case numbers remains to be seen — this messaging has only ramped up in the last several days — and Etches urged Ottawans to keep up the practice. "By social distancing and self-isolating if you meet the criteria, you could be saving lives … stay home if you are able to."
Three cases in Kingston were announced Tuesday afternoon. Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Public Health said three cases of COVID-19 have been identified. None of them have been hospitalized, and they are self-isolating.
The infected individuals are two women, 44 and 62, as well as one male, 48. All of them were infected while travelling outside the country to countries such as Spain, Barbados and the United Kingdom.
Ontario has enacted emergency measures that will shut down many aspects of social and cultural life in the province for at least two weeks, in an effort to further contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Ontario government updates a dedicated COVID-19 website twice daily, with new confirmed cases posted at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Monday morning saw three new cases in Ottawa, for a total of 13, and bringing Ontario's tally to 183 cases – though five had been resolved.
As of Tuesday at 10:30 a.m., the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 nationwide was 424 – excluding the 12 new cases reported in Ontario shortly after.
Local technology firm Ciena confirmed a third employee has tested positive for COVID-19. Ottawa's Patient Zero was a Ciena employee who travelled to Austria on a ski trip with two work colleagues. The company's Ottawa campus has closed until at least March 30.
Theresa Tam, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, said Tuesday that labs in Winnipeg are testing more than 37,000 Canadians for COVID-19 so far.
There have been an additional fourth deaths beyond the Ontario fatality, all from the same long-term care facility in North Vancouver.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a provincial emergency Tuesday morning, a demand with legislative backing that has ordered recreational facilities, public libraries, private schools, licensed child-care centres, bars and restaurants – excluding those with takeout and delivery capacity – theatres, cinemas and concert venues to close effectively immediately, until at least March 31.
It also bans all organized public events of more than 50 people.
Ford stressed that the emergency declaration does not mean a total provincial shutdown – most businesses, including those providing essential goods and services, will remain operational, he said.
The Ontario government also announced more than $300 million in funds to help the province weather the current COVID-19 crisis. The investment is expected to produce 75 more critical care beds, 500 more acute care beds, 75 more COVID-19 response centres and a host of new personal protective equipment.
Near empty departure area at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Airport as COVID-19 has shut down most airline travel. Photo by Wayne Cuddington /POSTMEDIA
In a Tuesday morning press conference, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Parks Canada is suspending visitor services to all of its national parks, national marine conservation areas and historic sites beginning Wednesday. "Pretty much everything with a door will be closed," he said.
Trudeau also announced a $5,000 emergency loan program for Canadians who are stranded abroad or need help coming home. Email sos@international.gc.ca for more information.
For the three million Canadians abroad, Trudeau said the government is "looking at every possible way" of bringing them home. He added the government is in talks with airlines, and that loans and supports will be offered.
The prime minister also praised Ontario's decision to declare a provincial emergency. "Ontario is taking the right steps."
"All Canadians should try to isolate themselves as much as possible."
A man wearing a protective mask walks outside. Photo by SUSANA VERA /REUTERS
With Ottawa Public Health now recommending that all residents practise social distancing, many workplaces and business that aren't affected by the provincial emergency declaration have still made the decision to temporarily close or have employees work remotely. With so many people remaining at home, Ottawa bylaw announced it's suspended the enforcement of overtime parking on residential streets without signed parking rules, until further notice.
Thousands of federal public services are now on paid leave from work until April 5. Initially they were to work from home, but the Canada Revenue Agency changed that directive to prevent those who don't provide critical services from overloading their work servers.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat has advised that every federal bureaucrat who can work from home should be allowed to do so. But many now-remote workers have reported jammed conference lines and difficulty connecting to virtual private networks needed for online security.
At least one Ottawa doctor's office has changed clinic policies in response to COVID-19 – cancelling routine visits, asking patients to wait in their vehicles until summoned inside for their appointment by call or text, and converting existing appointments to telephone-only where possible.
As of Monday, Ottawa Public Health began instructing those with no or only mild symptoms of COVID-19 not to call them. Instead, they should self-isolate and monitor their symptoms, according to OPH. The public health body has been inundated with calls and requests for testing.
The Archdiocese of Ottawa announced the suspension of Masses and other gatherings in the Archdiocese until at least April 5. Archbishop Terrence Prendergast encouraged Catholics to participate in online or televised Mass, and to pray at home.
Meanwhile, Quebec is delaying provincial tax deadlines to help alleviate coronavirus-related financial pressures, its finance minister announced Tuesday. Individuals will have until June 1 to file a return and until July 31 to pay their taxes. Businesses will have to follow regular filing schedules, but can wait until July 31 to pay their taxes.
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