Park party illustrates virus spread dangers

Barbecue led to 105 self-isolating

OTTAWA • Just days after Ontario moved to limit the size of social gatherings to reduce the spread of COVID-19, Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health offered a real-life example of how gatherings can quickly become super-spreader events — even when held outdoors.

Speaking to Ottawa’s board of health on Monday, Dr. Vera Etches described the fallout from a recent barbecue held in an Ottawa park.

She said after 40 people gathered in a park, two of them developed COVID-19 symptoms. Those two cases eventually caused outbreaks in households, a workplace and a daycare and led to 27 confirmed cases among family members, colleagues, childcare staff and students. The fallout continued. Eventually some of those infected came in contact with dozens of students on two school buses and at two schools.

UP TO 3,000 TESTS ARE BEING DONE EVERY DAY IN OTTAWA.

In all, she said, 27 people tested positive and 105 others had to stay home and self-isolate for 14 days directly related to the party. It is too soon to say what the final known cases count will be from the party.

“You can see how a group of 40 with a couple of people ill can quickly lead to 105 people having to stay home and multiple people testing positive.”

Etches told the health board that she appreciates the province’s recent move to limit the numbers of people allowed to gather to 25 outdoors and 10 indoors.

It is the second time Etches has offered an example of what contact tracers have found about how COVID-19 is being spread in the community. The last example was how one illness at a cottage party led to 40 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

During the packed board of health meeting, Etches said a provincial policy that allows anyone who wants testing to get it, is straining the system in Ottawa.

Signs of that strain have been clear in recent days with growing lineups at Ottawa testing centres and mounting frustration among people trying to get tested.

Up to 3,000 tests are being done every day in Ottawa, said Etches, which is about half the number local health officials predict will be needed in coming weeks.

The current plans are to double the capacity for daily testing to around 6,000 a day — 2,000 of those on children.