Posted: Feb 17, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: February 18
Nicole Laplante, centre, receives a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the St. Jacques Nursing Home in Embrun, Ont., in January. Ontario residents over 80 who don t live in group home settings could be offered a vaccine within weeks, public health officials say.(Submitted by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit)
Public health officials in Ottawa say residents over 80 who live on their own should begin receiving COVID-19 vaccines in early March.
Community organizations that serve seniors in Ottawa have been told that could happen within weeks. This is excellent news given older adults are at greater risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection, according to a memo from the city s Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), the team responsible for planning the local vaccine rollout, in a memo to the mayor and council.
Five more western Quebec residents have died of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the City of Ottawa suggests residents keep masks handy when visiting outdoor rinks.
It says anyone within 15 metres from the rink s edge is required to wear a mask.
According to Roger Chapman, director of by-law and regulatory services, if rink users are actively engaged in skating, masks are not mandatory, but they are highly recommended as per public health guidelines.
An OC Transpo employee has tested positive for the virus. The individual began to develop symptoms on Dec. 27, and has been self-isolating since Dec. 28.
The city says the employee wasn t in close contact with the public but visited public areas along the Confederation Line. Contact tracing is underway.
Posted: Dec 30, 2020 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: December 30, 2020
Varsity rugby player Zoe Totten-Coulter has been chatting with seniors who haven t been able to socialize very much during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Jean Delisle/CBC)
A pandemic program connecting student-athletes at Carleton University and older adults at a nearby long-term care home is helping its residents feel less isolated.
Seventy-eight-year-old Frances Arbour used to spend most of her time away from the care home going to the movies, dinners and visits with friends and family.
Under COVID-19 restrictions for the last several months, she s only been able to go out for medical appointments and short walks.