Ottawa Public Health reported 99 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday as the death toll related to COVID-19 in the capital surpasses 300.
Three more people have died in relation to the novel coronavirus in Ottawa, OPH said Friday, raising the local COVID-19 death toll to 301.
There have been 5,899 COVID-19 cases locally since the start of the pandemic, with 792 cases currently considered active.
Forty-seven people are now in hospital with the virus, eight of whom are in intensive care.
Six more coronavirus outbreaks were declared in Ottawa in the past 24 hours, including new outbreaks at Farley Mowat Public School and St. Peter High School. Two students have tested positive at both schools, according to OPH’s COVID-19 dashboard.
There are currently 75 ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in Ottawa, 11 of which are in local schools.
New testing centre to open on Monday
A long-awaited COVID-19 testing site in Ottawa’s east end will open on Monday, Oct. 19.
Renovations are complete at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex in Orleans, which will see one of the unused ice rinks turned into an assessment centre for the novel coronavirus.
The testing site, operated by l’Hôpital Montfort, will be open from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on day one, and from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, after that.
Tests will be available for adults and children as old as six months experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or who have otherwise been directed by Ottawa Public Health to seek a test.
An appointment will be necessary to get a test at the site, as is the case at other assessment centres across the province following a directive from the Ontario government in early October.
Anyone booking a test can do so online or, for those without reliable internet access, by calling 613-288-5353.
There are two options for bookings: one for a test only, and one for assessment by a doctor as well as a coronavirus test. The latter option is reserved for those with more severe symptoms.
The site needed to have another door added to the complex so that individuals presenting for testing could avoid contact with others using the rec centre. The ventilation system for the ice rink is also separate from the rest of the complex.
School boards cancel exams
High school students across Ottawa will not be subject to final exams during this academic year.
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the Ottawa Catholic District School Board, the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario and the Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est all confirmed to Global News on Friday that exam periods would be cancelled for secondary school students for the 2020-21 year.
Earlier this year, the Ontario Ministry of Education removed the requirement for students to complete summative tasks worth 30 per cent of their grade — usually in the form of an exam or final project — amid the disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Depending on the board, exams will be passed over for additional teaching days this year with assessments given on alternative projects or solely on work done throughout the term.
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