What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 12

Recent developments:

• Ontariansare ordered to not leave their homes for non-essential reasonsstarting Thursday.
• The stay-at-home order will resemble last spring's lockdown, city officials say.
• Ottawa is reporting 63 more COVID-19 cases.
• Four more people in the wider region havedied of COVID-19.
• The owner of the Ottawa Senatorswantsup to 6,000 fans toattend home games.

What's the latest?

Ontario is introducing a series of new restrictionsincluding a stay-at-home order prohibiting people from leaving their homes except for essential reasons such as buying groceries, exercising and accessing health care. The order goes into effect Thursday.

Bylaw officers will have the power to fine people found outside their homes without a valid reason.

Awaiting more details of the province's new stay-at-home order, city officials in Ottawa say the effect of it will likely resemble last spring's lockdown.

An earlierbriefing on the latest pandemic modelssuggests the original lockdown has not done enough to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

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Ottawa is reporting 63 more cases of COVID-19, while its number of COVID-19 patients requiring intensive careis the highest it's been since May.Four more people from the wider region have died of COVID-19.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyktweeted on Tuesday thatit's timeto allow fans to attend home games at Canadian Tire Centredespite the COVID-19 pandemic,but later backtracked, saying"that time is not now."

How many cases are there?

In Ottawa, 11,658people havetested positive for COVID-19. There are 1,157known active cases, 10,013resolved cases and 398deaths fromCOVID-19.

Public health officials have reported more than20,800 COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, including about17,900 resolved cases.

Ninety-ninepeople have died ofCOVID-19elsewhere in eastern Ontarioand 136people have died in western Quebec.

CBC Ottawa is profilingthose who've died of COVID-19. If you'd like to share your loved one's story, pleaseget in touch.

What can I do?

Ontariosayspeople need to only leave home when essentialand not leavetheir health unit to avoidmoreCOVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths including inareas with low case counts.

If residentsleave the provincethey should isolate for 14 days upon returning.

No indoorevents or private gatherings areallowed, except with people who live togetheror one other home for people livingalone.

Outdoor gatherings with friends or familypeople don't live withare not recommended. Legally these gatherings can't have more than five people.Ottawa's new rules for outdoor recreation are now in effect.

In-person shoppingis limited to essential businesses. Otherscan offerpickup and delivery.

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Caryl Green, mayor of Chelsea, Que., says the provincial curfew is acting as a deterrent, causing people to take the rising case numbers more seriously and stay home to avoid a fine.

Child-care centres areopen, while day camps are not.

The lockdown rules are in place in eastern Ontariountil Jan. 23, although that could changefor each health unitdepending on the data.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) saysits COVID-19 spread is again a crisis, with levelsas high as it's ever seen.It set a one-day case record of 234 people on Saturday.

Cases have also spiked in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, where its medical officer of health says too many cases are from workplaces andpeople seeing others in person.

In western Quebec, residents are asked not to leave home unless it's essential, with an exception for people living alone who can visit one other home.

That exception aside, people can only see other people in person who they live with.

Quebec's 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfewis now in effect, with fines of up to $6,000 for breaking the rules. Gatineau police say they've issued more than 40 tickets in its first two nights.

It hasshut downnon-essential businessesand hasextendedsecondary school closures until next week.

There is no indoor dining atrestaurants, whilegyms, cinemas and performing arts venues are all closed. Travel from one region to another is discouraged throughout Quebec.

Those rules arein place until Feb. 8.

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Distancing and isolating

The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes or speaks onto someone or something. These dropletscan hang in the air.

People can be contagious without symptoms.

This means people should take precautions such as staying home when they have symptoms, keeping hands and frequently touched surfaces clean and maintaining distance from anyone they don't live with even with a mask on.

Ontario has abandoned itsconcept of social circles.

Masks aremandatory in indoor public settingsin Ontarioand Quebecand should be wornoutdoors when people can't distance from others.

OPH says residents should wear masks outside their homes whenever possible.

Three-layer non-medical masks with a filterare recommended.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate, as should those who've beenordered to do so by their public health unit. The lengthvaries inOntarioandQuebec.

Anyone returning to Canadamust go straight homeand stay there for 14 days. Air travellershave to show recent proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems stay home as much as possible and get friends and family to help with errands.

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Symptoms and vaccines

COVID-19can range from a cold-like illnessto a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a cough, vomiting and loss of taste or smell.Children candevelop a rash.

If you have severe symptoms, call 911.

Mental healthcan also beaffected by the pandemicandresources are available to help.

COVID-19 vaccineshave beengiven tohealth-care workersand long-term care residents in Ottawaandwestern Quebec.

Vaccinesare expected in Hawkesburytoday or tomorrow, while other rural health units don't know when they'll get vials.

About 10,000Ottawa residents had received at least one doseas of Jan. 6.Its program is currentlyon pause as health officials wait for more doses.

In Ontario, it's expected that vaccination will expand topriority groups such as older adults and essential workersinApril, with vaccines widely available to the publicin August.

Ottawa believes it can have nearly 700,000 residents vaccinated by then.

Quebec has asomewhat controversial policy of givinga single dose toas many people as possible rather than giving fewer people two doses.

As of Jan. 12,western Quebec's health authorityhad given out about 3,600 doses.

Where to get tested

In eastern Ontario:

Anyone seeking a testshouldbook an appointment.

Ontariorecommends only getting testedif you have symptoms,if you've been told to by your health unit or the province, orif you fit certain other criteria.

In Ottawa, that criteria includes travel sinceDecemberfrom or through South Africa or the U.K. or close contact with someone that has. OPH is doing a detailed test of their samples for new, more contagiousvariants of the coronavirus.

People without symptomsbut part of the province's targeted testing strategycan make an appointment at select pharmacies. Travellers who need a test have very few local options to pay for one.

Ottawa has10 permanent test sites, with mobile siteswherever demand is particularly high.

TheEastern Ontario Health Unithas sites in Alexandria, Casselman, Cornwall, Hawkesbury, Rockland and Winchester. The Alexandria and Casselman sites are temporarily closed for two workweeks.

People canarrange a testin Picton by calling the centre or Bancroft, Belleville and Trenton, where online booking is preferred.

Kingston's main test site is at theBeechgrove Complex,another is in Napanee.

TheLeeds, Grenville and Lanarkhealth unit has permanent sites in Almonte, Brockville,Kemptvilleand Smiths Falls and a mobileclinicfor smaller communities or people with problems getting to a site.

Renfrew County residents should call their family doctor or 1-844-727-6404 for a test or with any health questions Test clinic locationsare posted weekly.

In western Quebec:

Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms and their contacts.

Outaouais residentscan make an appointment in Gatineau seven days a week at 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond or 617 avenue Buckingham.

They can nowcheck the approximate wait timefor the Saint-Raymond site.

There arerecurring clinics by appointmentin communities such as Maniwaki,Fort-Coulonge and Petite-Nation.

Call 1-877-644-4545 with questions, including if walk-in testing is available nearby.

First Nations, Inuit and Mtis:

Akwesasnehas had more than 90residents test positive on the Canadian side of the borderand fourdeaths. Nearly 200people have tested positive across the community.

Itscurfew from 11 p.m. to5 a.m. is back and ithasa COVID-19 test siteavailable by appointment only.

Anyone returning to the community on the Canadian side of the international border who's been farther than 160 kilometres away or visited Montreal for non-essential reasonsis asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

TheMohawks of the Bay of Quintehad its only confirmed casein November.Kitigan Zibilogged its first in mid-December and has had more since.

People inPikwakanagancan book a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259.

Anyone inTyendinagawho's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603.

Inuit in Ottawa can call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays.

For more information

• Ottawa Public Health.
• Your localeastern Ontario health unit.
• TheOntario Ministry of Health(in several languages).
• TheCentre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais.
• ThePublic Health Agency of Canada.