Ottawa Public Health is reporting 25 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday as the city’s retailers and restaurants prepare for the first step of Ontario’s reopening plan just after midnight.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the city dropped below 400 on Thursday to 378.
One additional person has died in connection with the virus in the past 24 hours, raising the city’s death toll of the pandemic to 583.
There are currently 24 Ottawa residents in hospital with COVID-19, four of whom are in the intensive care unit.
A COVID-19 outbreak at The Ottawa Hospital’s general campus that saw 20 people test positive and eight patients die has been declared over as of Wednesday, according to OPH.
Two outbreaks at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre and the city-run Centre D’Accueil Champlain long-term care home remain active, with a combined 77 COVID-19 cases between the two outbreaks.
In total, there are 15 ongoing outbreaks in Ottawa.
Restaurants in the city are preparing to open patios for service as most regions of the province enter the first step of Ontario’s COVID-19 reopening plan.
Also permitted on Friday are outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, non-essential retail with 15 per cent capacity and essential retail expanded to 25 per cent capacity with the removal of any restrictions placed on what goods they can sell.