HALIFAX --
Prince Edward Island is reporting five new COVID-19 cases on the island Sunday, with the active total rising to 18.
In an unscheduled media conference on Sunday, P.E.I. Chief Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said she is concerned about the fact that there does not appear to be a clear source of the recent outbreak.
Sunday’s five new cases involve two males in their 20s, and three females – two in their 20s, and one in her 50s.
Three are from the recent Charlottetown outbreak, one is linked to Summerside, and Public Health is still trying to determine the source for the last.
“I remain concerned about the increasing number of cases in P.E.I., and the fact that we have not been able to identify a link to travel,” she said. “There may be more cases that will be identified in the coming days. “
This comes as P.E.I. announced new measures Saturday, which took effect Sunday.
According to Morrison, there are 190 close contacts of these cases, and more are expected to be announced.
NEW LOCK DOWN MEASURES ANNOUNCED
Prince Edward Island is entering a 72-hour lockdown starting at midnight as the province struggles to contain the outbreak. These measures are a tighter version of the 'circuit breaker' regulations announced just Saturday.
Premier Dennis King says he'd rather go "harder and stronger" with public health restrictions now -- giving health officials a chance to get caught up on contact tracing and testing -- than wait for the outbreak to worsen.
"Yesterday we introduced some new circuit breaker measures,” King said. "I know it’s not what everyone wanted to hear, but it’s what is necessary to keep our province safe -- and today, we have announced we're going a little further."
The three-day lockdown requires residents to stay home as much as possible and will close all kindergarten to Grade 12 schools, with post-secondary education moving online only.
Only essential services will be allowed to remain open, at half of their standard operating capacity.
The other new measures are as follows:
No personal gatherings will be allowed
Each household can associate with two consistent people, for what Morrison called essential support
People who live alone can associate with one other household
No organized gatherings will be allowed
Funerals can have no more than 10, plus officiants
All recreational facilities are closed – including gyms, fitness facilities, bingo halls, casinos, musuems, and libraries
No organized sports or recreational activities will be permitted
Only essential services and businesses are allowed to be open to the public, and at 50 per cent of their standard capacity
Examples of services allowed to stay open: medical and dental services, childcare, grocery stores, pharmacies, takeout and food delivery, utility services, manufacturing processing and transportation services, gas stations, banks and essential financial institutions, public safety services and liquor stores.
For essential retail services, they can operate at half of standard operating capacity as long as entrances and exits monitored
In Sunday's media conference, Premier Dennis King urged cooperation from employees and employers to allow for time off to get tested for COVID-19.
“Your absence at work may cause a minor disruption – I get that, but we are living in a period of distruption," said King. "Missing a day or two at work while you have symptoms while you get tested is a heck of a lot less of a disruption than a circuit breaker.”
NEW POTENTIAL EXPOSURE SITES
Morrison also announced new public exposure sites. She said anyone who visited or worked at the following locations is asked to immediately self-isolate and seek a COVID-19 test. After a negative test, Morrison said there is no need to keep isolating, but it’s important to monitor symptoms and seek a second test if any appear.
Superstore in Montague, P.E.I.
Feb. 24 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tailgate Bar and Grill in Montague
Feb. 25 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Domino’s Pizza in Summerside
Feb. 15 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Burger King in Summerside
Feb. 18 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Charlottetown city bus #1
Feb. 20 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Taste of India in Charlottetown
Feb. 22 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Feb. 25 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Feb. 26 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Superstore at 465 University Ave. in Charlottetown
Feb. 23 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Feb. 24 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Jungle Market in Charlottetown
Feb. 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Walmart in Charlottetown
Feb. 24 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 27 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Christmas Discounters in Summerside
Feb. 25 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
These potential exposure sites are in addition to those announced Saturday, which are as follows:
Pita Pit (425 Granville Street)
Friday, February 19 between 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, February 21 between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Tuesday, February 23 between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Wednesday, February 24 between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Friday, February 26 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Callbecks Home Hardware (614 Water Street)
February 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, and 25 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm
Burger King (511 Granville Street)
Sunday, February 14 between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Wednesday, February 17 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Thursday, February 18 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Saturday, February 20 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Sunday, February 21 between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Wednesday, February 24 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Thursday, February 25 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Dominos Pizza (505 Granville Street)
Wednesday, February 17 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm
Tuesday, February 23 between 4:00 pm and 1:00 am
Wednesday, February 24 between 4:00 pm and 1:00 am
Late Saturday night, P.E.I. health announced more potential exposure sites. The same recomenddations apply to those who visited or worked at the following: immediately self-isolate and seek a COVID-19 test.
Dollarama in Summerside (454 Granville Street)
Saturday, February 20 between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Walmart/Burger King in Summerside (511 Granville Street)
Saturday, February 20 between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm
Shoppers Drug Mart in Summerside (454 Granville Street)
Sunday, February 21 between 10:00 am and 11:00 am
Superstore in Montague
Wednesday, February 24 between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm
Thursday, February 25 between 4:30 and 5:30 pm
Tailgate Bar and Grill in Montague
Thursday, February 25 between 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Morrison said she is expecting more positive cases to be announced in the coming days
HALIFAX --
Prince Edward Island is reporting five new COVID-19 cases on the island Sunday, with the active total rising to 18.
In an unscheduled media conference on Sunday, P.E.I. Chief Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said she is concerned about the fact that there does not appear to be a clear source of the recent outbreak.
Sunday’s five new cases involve two males in their 20s, and three females – two in their 20s, and one in her 50s.
Three are from the recent Charlottetown outbreak, one is linked to Summerside, and Public Health is still trying to determine the source for the last.
“I remain concerned about the increasing number of cases in P.E.I., and the fact that we have not been able to identify a link to travel,” she said. “There may be more cases that will be identified in the coming days. “
This comes as P.E.I. announced new measures Saturday, which took effect Sunday.
According to Morrison, there are 190 close contacts of these cases, and more are expected to be announced.
NEW LOCK DOWN MEASURES ANNOUNCED
Prince Edward Island is entering a 72-hour lockdown starting at midnight as the province struggles to contain the outbreak. These measures are a tighter version of the 'circuit breaker' regulations announced just Saturday.
Premier Dennis King says he'd rather go "harder and stronger" with public health restrictions now -- giving health officials a chance to get caught up on contact tracing and testing -- than wait for the outbreak to worsen.
"Yesterday we introduced some new circuit breaker measures,” King said. "I know it’s not what everyone wanted to hear, but it’s what is necessary to keep our province safe -- and today, we have announced we're going a little further."
The three-day lockdown requires residents to stay home as much as possible and will close all kindergarten to Grade 12 schools, with post-secondary education moving online only.
Only essential services will be allowed to remain open, at half of their standard operating capacity.
The other new measures are as follows:
No personal gatherings will be allowed
Each household can associate with two consistent people, for what Morrison called essential support
People who live alone can associate with one other household
No organized gatherings will be allowed
Funerals can have no more than 10, plus officiants
All recreational facilities are closed – including gyms, fitness facilities, bingo halls, casinos, musuems, and libraries
No organized sports or recreational activities will be permitted
Only essential services and businesses are allowed to be open to the public, and at 50 per cent of their standard capacity
Examples of services allowed to stay open: medical and dental services, childcare, grocery stores, pharmacies, takeout and food delivery, utility services, manufacturing processing and transportation services, gas stations, banks and essential financial institutions, public safety services and liquor stores.
For essential retail services, they can operate at half of standard operating capacity as long as entrances and exits monitored
In Sunday's media conference, Premier Dennis King urged cooperation from employees and employers to allow for time off to get tested for COVID-19.
“Your absence at work may cause a minor disruption – I get that, but we are living in a period of distruption," said King. "Missing a day or two at work while you have symptoms while you get tested is a heck of a lot less of a disruption than a circuit breaker.”
NEW POTENTIAL EXPOSURE SITES
Morrison also announced new public exposure sites. She said anyone who visited or worked at the following locations is asked to immediately self-isolate and seek a COVID-19 test. After a negative test, Morrison said there is no need to keep isolating, but it’s important to monitor symptoms and seek a second test if any appear.
Superstore in Montague, P.E.I.
Feb. 24 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tailgate Bar and Grill in Montague
Feb. 25 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Domino’s Pizza in Summerside
Feb. 15 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Burger King in Summerside
Feb. 18 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Charlottetown city bus #1
Feb. 20 4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Taste of India in Charlottetown
Feb. 22 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Feb. 25 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Feb. 26 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Superstore at 465 University Ave. in Charlottetown
Feb. 23 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Feb. 24 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Jungle Market in Charlottetown
Feb. 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Walmart in Charlottetown
Feb. 24 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 27 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Christmas Discounters in Summerside
Feb. 25 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
These potential exposure sites are in addition to those announced Saturday, which are as follows:
Pita Pit (425 Granville Street)
Friday, February 19 between 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, February 21 between 11:00 am and 7:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Tuesday, February 23 between 12:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Wednesday, February 24 between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Friday, February 26 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Callbecks Home Hardware (614 Water Street)
February 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, and 25 between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm
Burger King (511 Granville Street)
Sunday, February 14 between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Wednesday, February 17 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Thursday, February 18 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Saturday, February 20 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Sunday, February 21 between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Wednesday, February 24 between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm
Thursday, February 25 between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm
Dominos Pizza (505 Granville Street)
Wednesday, February 17 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm
Monday, February 22 between 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm
Tuesday, February 23 between 4:00 pm and 1:00 am
Wednesday, February 24 between 4:00 pm and 1:00 am
Late Saturday night, P.E.I. health announced more potential exposure sites. The same recomenddations apply to those who visited or worked at the following: immediately self-isolate and seek a COVID-19 test.
Dollarama in Summerside (454 Granville Street)
Saturday, February 20 between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm
Walmart/Burger King in Summerside (511 Granville Street)
Saturday, February 20 between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm
Shoppers Drug Mart in Summerside (454 Granville Street)
Sunday, February 21 between 10:00 am and 11:00 am
Superstore in Montague
Wednesday, February 24 between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm
Thursday, February 25 between 4:30 and 5:30 pm
Tailgate Bar and Grill in Montague
Thursday, February 25 between 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm
Morrison said she is expecting more positive cases to be announced in the coming days
Nova Scotia reported record-high testing numbers and three new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, a tally that comes as the Halifax region and some surrounding communities entered a second day of tighter restrictions.
One new case was in the central health zone and is a close contact of a previously reported case, according to a Department of Health news release. The northern health zone and eastern health zone had one case each, both related to travel outside the region. All the new cases are self-isolating.
The province now has 38 known active cases. Two people are hospitalized and in intensive care related to the virus.
On Friday, Premier Iain Rankin warned against non-essential travel within the province and elsewhere and introduced new restrictions for the Halifax Regional Municipality, up to and including Porters Lake, as well as Enfield, Elmsdale, Mount Uniacke and Hubbards.
The restrictions came into effect on Saturday and will be in place until at least March 26.
Nova Scotia completed a record 4,839 COVID-19 tests on Saturday. In Sunday's news release, Rankin commended Nova Scotians for responding in great numbers to get tested.
"Let's continue to make proactive testing a top priority," he said.
"No matter whether you live in Halifax or elsewhere in the province, I encourage you, even if you don't have symptoms, to book an appointment at one of the primary assessment centres or drop into a pop-up testing site."
Pop-up testing in Halifax
Nova Scotia's health authority will be holding rapid COVID-19 testing at two pop-up sites in Halifax.
Testing will be available at the Halifax Convention Centre from 3:30-9:30 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.
Testing will take place at the Paul O'Regan Hall at the Halifax Central Library from 10:30 a.m to 6 p.m. on Monday and from noon to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Halifax workplace exposures
Halifax Regional Police confirmed on Saturday that one of its employees had tested positive for COVID-19.
In an email, the watch commander said they were working closely with Public Health to follow the required protocols and that there would be no impact on service.
Irving said Friday it planned to test employees on Saturday and Sunday. Irving said the focus this weekend would be on priority roles, production and production support.
Irving announced via Twitter on Saturday that testing for employees would also take place on Monday at the Halifax Shipyard from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Another tweet indicated that 795 employees had been tested on Saturday.
Thank you to our employees, volunteers & <a href="https://twitter.com/nshealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nshealth</a> for your efforts yesterday, as 795 people were tested on Day 1 of the Halifax Shipyard Employee COVID-19 Pop-Up Test Site. Day 2 is underway now. <a href="https://t.co/FFrybFDZxs">pic.twitter.com/FFrybFDZxs</a>
The company said 1,600 people work at the Halifax Shipyard each day.
Atlantic Canada case numbers
New Brunswick reported no new cases Sunday for a total of 38 known active cases. The province has one person in hospital related to COVID-19. That person is in intensive care.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported seven new cases on Sunday. The province has 262 known active cases.
P.E.I. reported six new cases on Saturday, all under investigation by Public Health, making for 13 known active cases on the Island. The province has reintroduced some circuit-breaker restrictions, including no indoor dining in restaurants.
Public Health Ontario has reported 1,062 new cases of COVID-19 today (Feb. 28).
Today's report includes 20 new deaths.
The Feb. 28 update provided by the province's public health agency also reported the following data:
1,029 new recoveries
10,492 active cases, which is up from 10,479 yesterday
627 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ontario, down from 680 reported yesterday.
There are 289 COVID patients in intensive care units (up from 276) and 185 COVID patients on ventilators (up from 182 yesterday)
The province reported 49,185 tests were processed yesterday
Another 18,318 tests are still under investigation and/or being processed. To date, 11.0 million tests have been completed
Variants of concern
The province has reported 528 lab-confirmed cases of the UK variant strain of COVID-19 (B.1.1.7).
The province has reported 27 cases of B.1.351 (also known as the South African variant).
The province has reported three cases of P.1, which is the variant strain that originated in Brazil.
According to Public Health Ontario, there are delays between specimen collection and the testing required to confirm a variant of concern. As such, the reports can change and can differ from past case counts publicly reported.
As of 8 p.m. on Feb. 26, the province reported 687,271 doses of vaccine against COVID-19 have been administered.
In total, 262,103 people have been fully vaccinated, having received two doses of vaccine.
Public Health Ontario has confirmed 300,816 cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, and reported 283,344 recoveries and 6,980 deaths, of which 3,864 were individuals living in long-term care homes.
OTTAWA --
Ottawa Public Health says 55 more people have tested positive for COVID-19, pushing the city's number of active cases back above 500 for the first time in nearly a month.
According to OPH's COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 14,705 total laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa since the pandemic began. No new deaths were reported on Sunday, keeping the city's pandemic death toll at 439 residents.
There were 1,062 new cases reported across the province on Sunday, pushing Ontario past 300,000 total cases since the start of the pandemic. Ontario also reported 20 new COVID-19 related deaths and 1,029 newly resolved cases on Sunday. Ontario reported 31 new cases in Ottawa on Sunday. Figures from Ottawa Public Health often differ from those from the province because the respective health units pull data for their daily reports at different times the previous day.
Provincial officials reported no new cases of any variants of concern on Sunday. To date, Ottawa has seen eight confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant and one case of the B.1.351 variant.
While the number of known active cases in Ottawa is on the rise, Ottawa remains within the "orange-restrict' threshold under Ontario's COVID-19 framework. The weekly rate of new cases per 100,000 residents fell slightly on Sunday, while other key metrics held steady.
On Saturday, medical officer of health Dr. Vera Etches told the CTV News at Six that she expects Ottawa will remain in the orange zone for at least another week.
"I have to credit the people of Ottawa, you've held it steady for another week," she said. "Usually, the assessment is made on a Tuesday for the change to be made on the following Friday so I think this Tuesday we should be steady in orange for the week."
On Wednesday, she told city council Ottawa was approaching "red-control" levels and warned of an increased number of contacts per case. At the time, the available data listed 5.8 contacts per infected case for the week of Feb. 8 to 14. That figure has been cut in half to 2.9 contacts per infected case for the week of Feb. 15 to 21.
OTTAWA'S COVID-19 KEY STATISTICS
Ottawa is in "Orange-Restrict" status under Ontario's COVID-19 framework.
Ottawa Public Health data:
COVID-19 cases per 100,000 (previous seven days): 33.8 (down from 35.0 on Saturday and 34.7 on Friday)
Positivity rate in Ottawa: 2.0 per cent (Feb. 19-25)
Reproduction number: 0.98 (seven day average)
Reproduction values greater than 1 indicate the virus is spreading and each case infects more than one contact. If it is less than 1, it means spread is slowing.
The Orange-Restrict category of Ontario's COVID-19 framework includes a weekly rate of cases per 100,000 between 25 to 39.9, a percent positivity of 1.3 to 2.4 per cent, and a reproduction number of approximately 1 to 1.1.
VACCINES IN OTTAWA
As of Feb. 26
Vaccine doses administered in Ottawa (first and second shots): 49,125*
COVID-19 doses received (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna): 61,820
A new shipment of 4,000 Moderna doses arrived in Ottawa on Feb. 25.
A new shipment of 9,360 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Ottawa on Feb. 22.
*OPH says staff were able to extract additional doses out of several vials, which were given to residents. In a statement on its dashboard, OPH said, "Vaccine inventory is based on an expected 5 dose per vial supply. Occasionally, an additional dose (6th dose) is successfully extracted and administered to clients."
ACTIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN OTTAWA
The number of people with known active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa rose above 500 on Sunday. Ottawa Public Health reported 504 active cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa, up from 488 on Sunday. On Feb. 21, there were 476 active cases.
This is the first time the number of known active cases has been above 500 since Feb. 2.
Thirty-nine more people have recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. There are 13,762 resolved cases of COVID-19 in Ottawa
The number of active cases is the number of total cases of COVID-19 minus the numbers of resolved cases and deaths. A case is considered resolved 14 days after known symptom onset or positive test result.
HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OTTAWA
There are currently 20 people in Ottawa hospitals with COVID-19 complications, down from 24 on Saturday. Seven people are in intensive care.
Of the people in hospital, one is in their 30s, two are in their 40s, one is in their 50s, one is in their 60s (this person is in the ICU), five are in their 70s (two are in the ICU), eight are in their 80s (four are in the ICU), and two are 90 or older.
COVID-19 CASES IN OTTAWA BY AGE CATEGORY
0-9 years old: Three new cases (1,092 total cases)
10-19 years-old: Eight new cases (1,821 total cases)
20-29 years-old: 19 new cases (3,191 total cases)
30-39 years-old: Nine new cases (2,062 total cases)
40-49 years-old: Six new cases (1,897 total cases)
50-59 years-old: Two new cases (1,773 total cases)
60-69-years-old: Two new cases (1,061 total cases)
70-79 years-old: Five new cases (649 total cases)
80-89 years-old: One new case (702 total cases)
90+ years old: Zero new cases (454 total cases)
Unknown: Zero new cases (3 cases total)
COVID-19 TESTING
Ontario health officials say 49,185 COVID-19 tests were completed provincewide on Saturday and there are 18,318 tests still under investigation.
The Ottawa COVID-18 Testing Taskforce does not provide local testing figures on weekends. In its most recent update Friday afternoon, the taskforce said 1,742 swabs were processed at assessment centres in Ottawa on Thursday and labs performed 6,789 tests.
The average turnaround from the time the swab is taken at a testing site to the result is 33 hours.
The next local testing update will be released on Monday, March 1.
COVID-19 CASES ACROSS THE REGION
Eastern Ontario Health Unit: Four new cases
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health: One new case
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit: Four new cases
Renfrew County and District Health Unit: Two new cases
CISSS de l'Outaouais (Gatineau and western Quebec): 25 new cases
INSTITUTIONAL OUTBREAKS
Ottawa Public Health is reporting COVID-19 outbreaks at 29 institutions in Ottawa, including long-term care homes, retirement homes, daycares, hospitals and schools.
There are five active community outbreaks: one is linked to a health workplace, one is linked to a corporate/office setting, one is linked to a construction workplace, one is linked to a community organization and one at a multi-unit dwelling.
The schools and childcare spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
The long-term care homes, retirement homes, hospitals, and other spaces currently experiencing outbreaks are:
Centre D'Acceuil Champlain
Extendicare Laurier Manor
Extendicare Starwood
Extendicare West End Villa
Forest Hill (NEW)
Garry J. Armstrong long-term care home
Governor's Walk Retirement
Group Home – 32432
Group Home – 32782
Madonna Care Community (NEW)
Manoir Marochel
Manotick Place Retirement
Montfort Long-term Care Centre
Peter D. Clark
Rockcliffe Retirement Residence
Shelter - 28778
Shelter - 29677
Shelter - 29770
Shelter - 29860
Shelter - 33435
Supported Independent Living – 32891
The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A2
The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Campus - A4 (Medicine)/A5/B5/Ama
The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus - Single Unit 7Ncc/Ccu
Villa Marconi
A single laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 in a resident or staff member of a long-term care home, retirement home or shelter triggers an outbreak response, according to Ottawa Public Health. In childcare settings, a single confirmed, symptomatic case in a staff member, home daycare provider, or child triggers an outbreak.
Under provincial guidelines, a COVID-19 outbreak in a school is defined as two or more lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in students and/or staff in a school with an epidemiological link, within a 14-day period, where at least one case could have reasonably acquired their infection in the school (including transportation and before or after school care).
Two staff or patient cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 within a specified hospital unit within a 14-day period where both cases could have reasonably acquired their infection in hospital is considered an outbreak in a public hospital.
Ontario has now surpassed 300,000 total cases of COVID-19 as more than 1,000 new infections were logged in the province over the past 24 hours.
Ontario recorded 1,062 new cases of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus on Sunday, down from the 1,185 confirmed on Saturday and the 1,258 logged on Friday.
Today's tally is also down slightly from the 1,087 new infections reported one week ago, but the rolling seven-day average has increased week-over-week. The average number of new infections reported per day is now 1,104, up from 1,031 last Sunday.
The total number of COVID-19 cases confirmed in the province is now 300,816.
With 49,185 tests completed yesterday, the Ministry of Health is reporting a provincewide test positivity rate of 2.4 per cent today, down from 2.7 per cent last week.
Another 20 virus-related deaths were confirmed over the past 24 hours and none of the deaths involve residents of long-term care homes in the province.
The seven-day average of new virus-related deaths in Ontario has dropped to 17, down from 24 last week.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in Ontario was trending downward for several weeks following the provincewide lockdown but as most regions of the province gradually begin to reopen, active infections are unsurprisingly beginning to rise once again.
There are currently 10,492 known active COVID-19 cases in Ontario, up from 10,371 last Sunday.
According to the province, the number of patients with COVID-19 who are receiving treatment in hospital has dipped to 627, although hospitalization data is frequently less reliable during the weekends due to gaps in reporting from some hospitals.
After declining to as low as 263 earlier this month, intensive care admissions continue to rise in Ontario. The province says there are currently 289 COVID-19 patients in intensive care at Ontario hospitals, up from 277 seven days ago.
Of the new cases confimred today, 259 are in Toronto, 201 are in Peel Region, and 86 are in York Region
Two regions of Ontario will be returning to the grey zone of the province's reopening framework on Monday, forcing many businesses that had just recently reopened to close once again. The province announced Friday that it would be using its so-called “emergency brake” to place both the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit under lockdown amid a recent rise in cases in both health units.
On Friday, the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit was reporting a total of 184 confirmed cases of the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant, accounting for more than a third of all confirmed cases of a variant of concern across Ontario.
Toronto and Peel Region have not yet exited the Ford government's provincewide lockdown and most businesses remain closed in both regions. Local politicians in Peel Region have expressed their desire to rejoin the province's reopening framework in the red zone, which would allow gyms, hair salons, and retail shops to reopen and in-person dining to resume with reduced indoor capacity.
Another 23 cases involving a variant of concern were confirmed in Ontario over the past 24 hours, including 20 cases involving B.1.1.7, two new cases of B.1.351, and one more case of P.1.
Ontario has now administered 687,271 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and 262,103 people have received both doses for full immunization.
The numbers used in this story are found in the Ontario Ministry of Health's COVID-19 Daily Epidemiologic Summary. The number of cases for any city or region may differ slightly from what is reported by the province, because local units report figures at different times.
Dr. Robert Cushman says it's possible tighter rules could be implemented in the town of Arnprior, Ont., and the township of McNab/Braeside, Ont., after 15 cases were confirmed this past week.
In Ottawa, meanwhile, another 62 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed on Saturday. No deaths were reported.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board says parents will have to make a decision by mid-March about whether their children will attend virtual or in-person learning come September.
If the pandemic's left you feeling disconnected from loved ones, check your mailbox this week. Canada Post will be sending out 13.5 million postage-paid postcards to help Canadians stay in touch with the people who matter to them.
How many cases are there?
As of Saturday, 14,650 Ottawa residents have tested positive for COVID-19. There are currently 488 known active cases and 13,723 resolved cases. Public health officials have attributed 439 deaths to COVID-19.
Details on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttCity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OttCity</a>'s first pop-up vaccination clinic will be announced on Monday , March 1. Please do not call <a href="https://twitter.com/OttawaHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ottawahealth</a> or 3-1-1 at this time, as appointments are not yet available. To find out eligibility for this clinic, visit: <a href="https://t.co/BPpKuJ3hou">https://t.co/BPpKuJ3hou</a> <a href="https://t.co/zmEProsLvL">pic.twitter.com/zmEProsLvL</a>
Public health officials have reported more than 26,000 COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, including more than 24,400 resolved cases.
Elsewhere in eastern Ontario, 130 people have died of COVID-19, and 160 people have died in western Quebec.
Akwesasne has had more than 230 residents test positive on the Canadian side of the border and seven deaths. Kitigan Zibi has had 21 confirmed cases and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory has had five, with one death.
Restaurants, gyms, personal care services, theatres and non-essential businesses are open across eastern Ontario. Most sports can also resume.
Social gatherings can have up to 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors. Organized events can be larger.
People are asked to only have close contact with people they live with, be masked and distanced for all other in-person contact and only travel for essential reasons, especially between differently coloured zones.
Both Ottawa Public Health (OPH) and the EOHU are orange under the province's colour-coded pandemic scale.
A woman in a mask walks through downtown Arnprior, Ont., on Feb. 27, 2021. The Renfrew County and District Health Unit says tighter pandemic rules could be put in place there as there's been a recent rise in COVID-19 cases. (Remi Authier/Radio-Canada)
Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems stay home as much as possible and get help with errands.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate, as should those who've been ordered to do so by their public health unit. The length varies in Quebec and Ontario; the latter recently updated its rules, including in schools.
COVID-19 can range from a cold-like illness to a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a cough, vomiting and loss of taste or smell. Children can develop a rash.
For example, Ottawa has chosen to offer shots to people over age 80 in certain areas of the city and adults getting home care for chronic conditions starting this Friday, March 5.
Renfrew County test clinic locations are posted weekly. Residents can also call their family doctor or 1-844-727-6404 with health questions.
The Eastern Ontario Health Unit has sites in Alexandria, Casselman, Cornwall, Hawkesbury, Rockland and Winchester.
In western Quebec:
Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms and their contacts.
Outaouais residents can make an appointment in Gatineau at 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond or 617 ave. Buckingham. They cancheck the wait time for the Saint-Raymond site.
Anyone returning to the community on the Canadian side of the international border who's been farther than 160 kilometres away — or visited Montreal — for non-essential reasons is asked to self-isolate for 14 days.
People in Pikwakanagan can book a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259. Anyone in Tyendinaga who's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603.
Inuit in Ottawa can call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing and now vaccines, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays.
WASHINGTON --
The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two.
Health experts are anxiously awaiting a one-and-done option to help speed vaccinations, as they race against a virus that already has killed more than 510,000 people in the U.S. and is mutating in increasingly worrisome ways.
The FDA said J&J's vaccine offers strong protection against what matters most: serious illness, hospitalizations and death. One dose was 85 per cent protective against the most severe COVID-19 illness, in a massive study that spanned three continents -- protection that remained strong even in countries such as South Africa, where the variants of most concern are spreading.
"This is really good news," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told The Associated Press Saturday. "The most important thing we can do right now is to get as many shots in as many arms as we can."
J&J initially is providing a few million doses and shipments to states could begin as early as Monday. By the end of March, J&J has said it expects to deliver 20 million doses to the U.S., and 100 million by summer.
J&J also is seeking authorization for emergency use of its vaccine in Europe and from the World Health Organization. The company aims to produce about 1 billion doses globally by the end of the year. On Thursday, the island nation of Bahrain became the first to clear its use.
"This is exciting news for all Americans, and an encouraging development in our efforts to bring an end to the crisis," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "But I want to be clear: this fight is far from over," he added, encouraging people to stick with masks and other public health measures.
On Sunday, a U.S. advisory committee will meet to recommend how to prioritize use of the single-dose vaccine. And one big challenge is what the public wants to know: Which kind is better?
"In this environment, whatever you can get -- get," said Dr. Arnold Monto of the University of Michigan, who chaired an FDA advisory panel that unanimously voted Friday that the vaccine's benefits outweigh its risks.
Data is mixed on how well all the vaccines being used around the world work, prompting reports in some countries of people refusing one kind to wait for another.
In the U.S., the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna shots were 95% protective against symptomatic COVID-19. J&J's one-dose effectiveness of 85% against severe COVID-19 dropped to 66% when moderate cases were rolled in. But there's no apples-to-apples comparison because of differences in when and where each company conducted its studies, with the Pfizer and Moderna research finished before concerning variants began spreading.
NIH's Collins said the evidence shows no reason to favour one vaccine over another.
"What people I think are mostly interested in is, is it going to keep me from getting really sick?" Collins said. "Will it keep me from dying from this terrible disease? The good news is all of these say yes to that."
Also, J&J is testing two doses of its vaccine in a separate large study. Collins said if a second dose eventually is deemed better, people who got one earlier would be offered another.
The FDA cautioned that it's too early to tell if someone who gets a mild or asymptomatic infection despite vaccination still could spread the virus.
There are clear advantages aside from the convenience of one shot. Local health officials are looking to use the J&J option in mobile vaccination clinics, homeless shelters, even with sailors who are spending months on fishing vessels -- communities where it's hard to be sure someone will come back in three to four weeks for a second vaccination.
The J&J vaccine also is easier to handle, lasting three months in the refrigerator compared to the Pfizer and Moderna options, which must be frozen.
"We're chomping at the bit to get more supply. That's the limiting factor for us right now," said Dr. Matt Anderson of UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin, where staffers were readying electronic health records, staffing and vaccine storage in anticipation of offering J&J shots soon.
The FDA said studies detected no serious side effects. Like other COVID-19 vaccines, the main side effects of the J&J shot are pain at the injection site and flu-like fever, fatigue and headache.
An FDA fact sheet for vaccine recipients says there is "a remote chance" that people may experience a severe allergic reaction to the shot, a rare risk seen with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Such reactions are treatable, and vaccine recipients are supposed to be briefly monitored after the injection.
The vaccine has been authorized for emergency use in adults 18 and older for now. But like other manufacturers, J&J is about to study how it works in teens before moving to younger children later in the year, and also plans a study in pregnant women.
All COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize the new coronavirus, usually by spotting the spikey protein that coats it. But they're made in very different ways.
J&J's shot uses a cold virus like a Trojan horse to carry the spike gene into the body, where cells make harmless copies of the protein to prime the immune system in case the real virus comes along. It's the same technology the company used in making an Ebola vaccine, and similar to COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca and China's CanSino Biologics.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a different technology, a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that spurs cells to make those harmless spike copies.
The AstraZeneca vaccine, already used in Britain and numerous other countries, is finishing a large U.S. study needed for FDA clearance. Also in the pipeline, Novavax uses a still different technology, made with lab-grown copies of the spike protein, and has reported preliminary findings from a British study suggesting strong protection.
Still other countries are using "inactivated vaccines," made with killed coronavirus by Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm.
The U.S. is getting a third vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday cleared a Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose instead of two.
Health experts are anxiously awaiting a one-and-done option to help speed vaccinations, as they race against a virus that already has killed more than 510,000 people in the U.S. and is mutating in increasingly worrisome ways.
The FDA said J&J's vaccine offers strong protection against what matters most: serious illness, hospitalizations and death. One dose was 85 per cent protective against the most severe COVID-19 illness, in a massive study that spanned three continents — protection that remained strong even in countries such as South Africa, where the variants of most concern are spreading.
"This is really good news," Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), told The Associated Press Saturday. "The most important thing we can do right now is to get as many shots in as many arms as we can."
Shipments of a few million doses to be divided among states could begin as early as Monday. By the end of March, J&J has said it expects to deliver 20 million doses to the U.S., and 100 million by summer.
A person is administered the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at a hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, on Feb. 17. (Nardus Engelbrecht/The Associated Press)
J&J also is seeking authorization for emergency use of its vaccine in Europe and from the World Health Organization. Worldwide, the company aims to produce about 1 billion doses globally by the end of the year. On Thursday, the island nation of Bahrain became the first to clear its use.
Health Canada is still reviewing the vaccine. Canada has ordered 10 million doses from Johnson & Johnson with options for up to 28 million more, if necessary. Most of those shots are expected to arrive by the end of September.
'We're champing at the bit to get more supply'
On Sunday, a U.S. advisory committee will meet to recommend how to prioritize use of the single-dose vaccine. And one big challenge is what the public wants to know: Which kind of vaccine is better?
"In this environment, whatever you can get — get," said Dr. Arnold Monto of the University of Michigan, who chaired an FDA advisory panel that unanimously voted Friday that the vaccine's benefits outweigh its risks.
Data is mixed on how well all the vaccines being used around the world work, prompting reports in some countries of people refusing one kind to wait for another.
WATCH | Will Canadians be able to choose which vaccine they get?:
Doctors answer questions about the latest COVID-19 vaccine news including whether Canadians will be able to choose which one they get. 5:48
In the U.S., the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna shots were 95 per cent protective against symptomatic COVID-19. J&J's one-dose effectiveness of 85 per cent against severe COVID-19 dropped to 66 per cent when moderate cases were rolled in. But there's no apples-to-apples comparison because of differences in when and where each company conducted its studies, with the Pfizer and Moderna research finished before concerning variants began spreading.
Collins said the evidence of effectiveness shows no reason to favour one vaccine over another.
"What people I think are mostly interested in is, is it going to keep me from getting really sick?" Collins said. "Will it keep me from dying from this terrible disease? The good news is all of these say yes to that."
Also, J&J is testing two doses of its vaccine in a separate large study. Collins said if a second dose eventually is deemed better, people who got one earlier would be offered another.
The FDA cautioned that it's too early to tell if someone who gets a mild or asymptomatic infection despite vaccination still could spread the virus.
There are clear advantages aside from the convenience of one shot. Local health officials are looking to use the J&J option in mobile vaccination clinics, homeless shelters, even with sailors who are spending months on fishing vessels — communities where it's hard to be sure someone will come back in three to four weeks for a second vaccination.
WATCH | Canada's procurement minister on Johnson & Johnson vaccine:
The CBC's Tom Parry asks Procurement Minister Anita Anand how many doses of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine Canada will receive after it's approved by Health Canada. 4:56
The J&J vaccine also is easier to handle, lasting three months in the refrigerator compared to the Pfizer and Moderna options, which must be frozen.
"We're champing at the bit to get more supply. That's the limiting factor for us right now," said Dr. Matt Anderson of UW Health in Madison, Wisconsin, where staffers were readying electronic health records, staffing and vaccine storage in anticipation of offering J&J shots soon.
The FDA said studies detected no serious side effects. Like other COVID-19 vaccines, the main side effects of the J&J shot are pain at the injection site and flu-like fever, fatigue and headache.
The FDA said there is "a remote chance" that people may experience a severe allergic reaction to the shot, a rare risk seen with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
The vaccine has been authorized for emergency use in adults 18 and older for now. But like other vaccine makers, J&J is about to begin a study of its vaccine in teens before moving to younger children later in the year, and also plans a study in pregnant women.
All COVID-19 vaccines train the body to recognize the new coronavirus, usually by spotting the spike protein that coats it. But they're made in very different ways.
WATCH | Provinces offer different timelines for COVID-19 vaccine rollout:
When Canadians will be able to get a COVID-19 vaccine may depend on where they live. The provinces have started revealing their rollout plans, but the timing of who can get a shot varies across the country. 1:58
J&J's shot uses a cold virus like a Trojan horse to carry the spike gene into the body, where cells make harmless copies of the protein to prime the immune system in case the real virus comes along. It's the same technology the company used in making an Ebola vaccine, and similar to COVID-19 vaccines made by AstraZeneca and China's CanSino Biologics.
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made with a different technology, a piece of genetic code called messenger RNA that spurs cells to make those harmless spike copies.
The AstraZeneca vaccine — which was approved for use in Canada on Friday and is already in use in numerous other countries — is finishing a large U.S. study needed for FDA clearance. Also in the pipeline, Novavax uses a still different technology, made with lab-grown copies of the spike protein, and has reported preliminary findings from a British study suggesting strong protection.
Still other countries are using "inactivated vaccines," made with killed coronavirus by Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm.
NEWS RELEASE NOVA SCOTIA HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH *************************
Nova Scotia Health Public Health is advising of potential exposure to COVID-19 at 7 locations in the Central Zone as well as an Air Canada flight. In addition to media releases, all potential exposure notifications are listed here: http://www.nshealth.ca/covid-exposures.
Anyone who worked at or visited the following locations on the specified dates and times should immediately visit covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/ to book a COVID-19 test, regardless of whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms. You can also call 811 if you don’t have online access or if you have other symptoms that concern you.
For the following locations, if you have symptoms of COVID-19 you are required to self-isolate while you wait for your test result. If you do not have any symptoms of COVID-19 you do not need to self-isolate while you wait for your test result.
Head Shoppe Mic Mac Mall (21 Micmac Blvd, Dartmouth) on Feb. 17 between 9:15 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 3.
Lawton’s Drugs Westphal (90 Main St. Dartmouth) on Feb. 18 between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 4.
NSHA Blood Collection Clinic (5110 St. Margaret's Bay Rd, Tantallon) on Feb. 18 between 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Feb. 22 between 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 8. (Testing recommended for anyone that visited the clinic on the above dates and times who have not already been contacted by Public Health).
Winners Mic Mac Mall (21 Micmac Blvd, Dartmouth) on Feb. 19 between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 5.
Chapters Mic Mac Mall (21 Micmac Blvd, Dartmouth) on Feb. 19 between 12:00 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 5.
Walmart Bedford Commons (141 Damascus Road, Bedford) on Feb. 23 between 11:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 9.
Dollarama Dartmouth Crossing (100 Gale Terrace, Dartmouth) on Feb. 24 between 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus at this location on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 10.
Anyone who was on the following flight in the specified rows and seats should visit https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/en to book a COVID-19 test, regardless of whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms. You can also call 811 if you don’t have online access or if you have other symptoms that concern you.
Air Canada flight 614 departing from Toronto on Feb. 24 (2:18 p.m.) and arriving in Halifax (5:05 p.m.). Passengers in rows 12-18, seats A, B, C and D are asked to immediately visit https://covid-self-assessment.novascotia.ca/en to book a COVID-19 test, regardless of whether or not they have COVID-19 symptoms. All other passengers on this flight should continue to self-isolate as required and monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. It is anticipated that anyone exposed to the virus on this flight on the named date may develop symptoms up to, and including, March 10.
Please remember:
Do not go directly to a COVID-19 assessment centre without being directed to do so. Please book an appointment online and do not go to a pop-up rapid testing location.
Currently, anyone who traveled outside Nova Scotia or PEI is expected to self-isolate alone for 14 days after arriving. If a person returning from non-essential travel outside Nova Scotia or PEI is unable to isolate alone, then everyone in the home where they are self-isolating will have to self-isolate as well.
When Nova Scotia Health Public Health makes a public notification it is not in any way a reflection on the behaviour or activities of those named in the notification.
All Nova Scotians are advised to continue monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms and are urged to follow Public Health guidelines on how to access care. Up to date information about COVID-19 is available at novascotia.ca/coronavirus
