OTTAWA --
Ottawa's medical officer of health delivered a stark message on social media on Sunday as COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the nation's capital.
Dr. Vera Etches tweeted that two weeks after moving into the "Red-Control" zone under Ontario's COVID-19 framework, "the curve has only worsened."
Since moving to the red zone on March 19, Ottawa's number of COVID-19 patients in hospital has more than doubled, and the number of people in the ICU has tripled.
"I am seeing many people test positive after being in groups at restaurants, with transmission even outdoors," Etches said. "COVID-19 is spreading too fast in Ottawa to enable health services to function well and too many older adults are still vulnerable to hospitalization and death."