What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Friday, Sept. 25

Recent developments: 

• The Ottawa Hospital is taking over resident care at two local nursing homes with serious outbreaks.
• Ontario is closing strip clubs and rolling back last call for alcohol sales to 11 p.m.
• Quebec's health minister is asking people to cancel any plans to gather for the next four weeks.
• The NCC has cancelled this weekend's shuttle bus to see fall colours in Gatineau Park.
• Ottawa has 40 more cases of COVID-19.

What's the latest?

Effective tomorrow, Ontario is closing strip clubs and banning the sale of alcohol after 11 p.m.

The province is citing "outbreak clusters in restaurants, bars, and other food and drink establishments, including strip clubs, with most cases in the 20-39 age group."

Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé is asking people in the province to cancel any plans to gather for the next four weeks to stop the rising spread of the coronavirus.

WATCH LIVE | Quebec health officials give an update at 1:30 p.m. ET:

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The Ottawa Hospital will take over care of residents at West End Villa and Laurier Manor long-term care homes, the province announced Friday. 

The Ministry of Long-term Care said the "voluntary arrangements" between the hospital and Extendicare, which operates the two facilities, will help the homes address and contain the serious COVID-19 outbreaks within those facilities.

The National Capital Commission has cancelled its usual shuttle bus to and from Gatineau Park to see the fall colours this weekend because of the pandemic, and says it may do the same on weekends to come.

The NCC has also extended partial weekend closures of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway and the Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier parkways until Oct. 12, which is Thanksgiving Monday.

How many cases are there?

Ottawa is reporting 40 new COVID-19 cases.

As of the most recent Ottawa Public Health (OPH) update on Friday, 3,960 Ottawa residents have tested positive for COVID-19. That includes 551 known active cases, 3,129 resolved cases and 280 deaths.

Its five-day average of new cases per daily report is at its highest level of the pandemic.

Overall, public health officials have reported more than 6,000 cases of COVID-19 across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, with more than 4,800 of those cases considered resolved.

COVID-19 has killed 104 people in the region outside Ottawa: 52 people have died in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties, 34 in the Outaouais and 18 in other parts of eastern Ontario.

According to data shared by Ottawa's four boards and OPH, more than 50 schools had reported at least one case of COVID-19 involving a staff member or student.

Seven have what OPH considers an outbreak, or a reasonable chance COVID-19 passed from one person to another during a school activity.

What's open and closed?

Some public health rules are being rolled back because of the second wave of the pandemic.

• Experts call for lockdown measures now to deal with COVID-19 surge

Ottawa and Kingston, Ont., public health officials are ordering anyone with symptoms or who has been identified as a close contact of someone who's tested positive to immediately self-isolate or face a fine of up to $5,000 per day in court.

Private, unmonitored gatherings across Ontario are now limited to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

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Kingston has tightened its distancing rules in city parks and increased fines.

Quebec has introduced tighter restrictions in the province's "orange zones,"  which now includes the Outaouais.

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Ottawa will resume ticketing drivers who park longer than allowed in unmarked areas Thursday.

It is closing the McNabb Arena respite centre for people without housing on Oct. 2 and expanding services at nearby support centres.

WATCH | One of hundreds of Ottawa families trying to switch to online learning:

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When the Ford government scaled back comprehensive, annual inspections of Ontario nursing homes in 2018, experts say it may have left facilities unprepared and residents vulnerable to the novel coronavirus because the only oversight mechanism that reliably found infection control weaknesses had been removed. A joint CBC Marketplace and The National investigation analyzed thousands of long-term care violations in the year leading up to the pandemic and found the new system caught 68 per cent fewer infection control infractions. And the province's 2015 report reveals these "resident quality inspections" were up to five times better at catching serious infractions.

Distancing and isolating

The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes or speaks onto someone or something.

People can be contagious without symptoms.

This means precautions such as working from home, keeping your hands and frequently-touched surfaces clean socializing outdoors as much as possible and keeping distance from anyone you don't live with or have in your social circle, including when you have a mask on.

WATCH | COVID-19's impact on Black people:

Ottawa's medical officer of health is pleading with residents to reduce the number of people they're in close contact with as new cases of COVID-19 continue to surge.

Masks are mandatory in indoor public settings in all of eastern Ontario and Quebec, including transit services and taxis in some areas.

Masks are also recommended outdoors when you can't stay the proper distance from others.

Anyone who has travelled recently outside Canada must go straight home and stay there for 14 days.

Most people with a confirmed COVID-19 case in Quebec can end their self-isolation after 10 days if they have not had a fever for at least 48 hours and has had no other symptom for at least 24 hours.

Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems stay home as much as possible. 

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

COVID-19 can range from a cold-like illness to a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a cough, vomiting and the loss of taste or smell. 

Less common symptoms include chills, headaches and pink eye. Children can develop a rash.

Getting tested any sooner than five days after potential exposure may not be useful since the virus may not yet be detectable, says OPH.

If you have severe symptoms, call 911.

Where to get tested

Wait times and lines have been long at many of the area's test sites, causing some to reach capacity before closing time or even before opening.

It's also taking up to five days for laboratories to process tests, according to OPH's Etches on Wednesday.

Ontario health officials have said they're trying to add more test capacity.

WATCH | What it's like to wait days for test results:

In eastern Ontario:

As of Thursday Ontario recommends only getting tested if you have symptoms, have been told to by your health unit or by the province because of your work.

• Confused about COVID-19 testing guidelines? Find out if you should get tested

Most of Ottawa's testing happens at one of four permanent sites, with additional mobile sites wherever demand is particularly high.

A test clinic is expected to open at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex in Orléans, likely by mid-October.

People without symptoms, but who are part of the province's targeted testing strategy, can make an appointment at select Ottawa pharmacies.

In the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, there are drive-thru centres in Casselman and Limoges and a walk-up site in Hawkesbury that doesn't require people to call ahead.

Its medical officer of health says the Casselman centre will be moved to reduce its impact on traffic.

Others in Alexandria, Rockland, Cornwall and Winchester require an appointment.

In Kingston, the Leon's Centre is hosting the city's test site though Gate 2.

It moves to the Beechgrove Complex near King Street West and Portsmouth Avenue this weekend and will start with two days of drive-thru testing as a trial.

Napanee's test centre is open daily for people who call ahead.

WATCH | Why did Ontario cut comprehensive nursing home inspections?

People can arrange a test in Bancroft, Belleville, Picton or Trenton by calling the centre. Only Belleville and Trenton run seven days a week and also offer online booking.

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark unit has walk-in sites in Kemptville and Brockville — the latter with extended hours this weekend. 

Testing sites in Smiths Falls and Almonte which require an appointment, same for a pop-up site in Perth today.

Renfrew County residents should call their family doctor. Those without access to a family doctor can call 1-844-727-6404 for a test or if they have health questions, COVID-19-related or not.

People can also visit the health unit's website to find out where testing clinics will be taking place each week.

In western Quebec:

Outaouais residents can make an appointment in Gatineau seven days a week at 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond or 617 avenue Buckingham.

They can now check the approximate wait time for the Saint-Raymond site.

There are recurring clinics by appointment in communities such as Gracefield, Val-des-Monts and Fort-Coulonge.

They can call 1-877-644-4545 if they have other questions, including if walk-in testing is available nearby.

Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms or who have been in contact with someone with symptoms. People without symptoms can also get a test.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis:

Akwesasne has had 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases, most linked to a gathering on an island in July.

It has a mobile COVID-19 test site available by appointment only.

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.

Inuit in Ottawa can also call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays.

People in Pikwakanagan can book an appointment for a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259. 

Anyone in Tyendinaga who's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603 to talk to a nurse.

For more information

• Ottawa Public Health.
• Your local eastern Ontario health unit.
• The Ontario Ministry of Health (in several languages).
• The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada.