Virus update: 7 take-aways
Essential points from officials as city and region prepare for cases of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Blair Crawford reports.
Where to be tested?
For now, all testing will be done at hospital emergency departments. People who think they might have a COVID-19 infection are to call Ottawa Public Health at 613-580-6744. A public health nurse will help to assess whether they need to be tested and will schedule a time to visit a hospital emergency department. That helps avoid overwhelming emergency rooms, which still need to serve regular emergency cases.
Nearly 200 people called the line on Tuesday and OPH concedes there have been some delays responding. It has added more than 70 nurses to handle calls and follow up with people being investigated for the virus.
Assessment Centres
The Ottawa Hospital and Ottawa Public Health are working to open the first of several COVID-19 assessment centres within the next week. The first site will be “centrally located” but health officials haven’t said where.
“We want to make sure we have everything ready and we want to have very clear messages to the public. That should be available in the next couple of days,” said Dr. Andrew Willmore, medical director of The Ottawa Hospital’s department of emergency management.
A second assessment centre is already being planned and more will open in other areas of the city as more information becomes available about the numbers and needs of people who are being assessed.
The city is also seriously considering a “drive-thru” assessment clinic, as has been done in several European cities, Willmore said.
How many people have been tested?
More than 150 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Ottawa and their tests found to be negative since the virus first appeared. The Ottawa Hospital tested 25 patients on Tuesday alone. The testing has to be done in a private room that needs to be cleaned and sterilized after each patient, limiting the number of tests that can be done in the hospital.
Until now, swabs were being sent to Toronto for testing. As of Wednesday, however, swabs were being sent to the Public Health Ontario laboratory in Ottawa, which has a turnaround time of six hours.
Advice to employers
Ottawa’s medical officer of health, Dr. Vera Etches, said employers should think hard about business trips.
“We do know that travel outside the country is a risk so we’re asking employers to think about whether any work-related travel outside the country is necessary. Employers are welcome to consult with Ottawa Public Health about what to do.”
Having employees work from home is another way to reduce the risk of transmission. Employers and organizations should also reconsider staging events that could spread the virus.
“Think about, ‘Is this a highrisk event or a low-risk event?’ A high-risk event would involve bringing together people from outside the country into a large gathering. Those are the events I’d consider talking to organizers about postponing,” Etches said.
Low-risk events are smaller, domestic gatherings, but even then there are steps that can lower the risk. Consider not shaking hands or using prepackaged food items, for example.
Should I travel?
Etches says the best advice is to check the federal government website for specific travel advisories. The COVID-19 risk is especially high in China’s Hubei province, Iran and Italy, and travellers returning from those areas are being told to self-isolate for 14 days and to report into Ottawa Public Health within 24 hours of arriving in Ottawa.
“For other areas the risk is lower, so it’s a matter of self-monitoring when they return,” Etches said. “The advice for travellers is think about whether this is an important trip. Can it be postponed? And also think about the measures you can take to protect yourself. Are you going to a place where it’s going to be easy to keep your distance from others? Can you avoid crowds? Will you be able to self-isolate when you’re overseas?”
Protective Equipment
The Ottawa Hospital deals with infectious diseases every day and has stockpiles of equipment available, Willmore said. “We don’t foresee any shortages.”
The hospital has stockpiles of ventilators in its regional hospitals and access to provincial and national stockpiles as well, he said. Ottawa Paramedic Service also maintains a month’s supply of protective equipment and is working at acquiring more.
Emergency measures
The City of Ottawa activated its emergency command centre at city hall on Wednesday and the Ottawa Hospital has activated its emergency operations centre.