What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Thursday, Jan. 21

Recent developments:

• Ottawa is reporting 180 newCOVID-19 cases and six more deaths.
• Renfrew County has had its second COVID-19 death.
• Quebec's premier is expected to speak at 1 p.m. ET.

What's the latest?

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is reporting 180 newCOVID-19 cases Thursday and six more fatalities, marking the deadliest day of the pandemicsince late May.

Renfrew County's health unit is reporting the second death in its area from COVID-19. It has just five known active COVID-19 cases.

WATCH LIVE | A Quebec pandemic update starts at 1 p.m. ET:

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Malaka Hendela, co-chair of the Ottawa-Carleton Assembly of School Councils, says parents are facing school closures without an end date and worries that some may be struggling to cope.

How many cases are there?

As of Thursday, 12,674Ottawa residents havetested positive for COVID-19. There are 1,056known active cases, 11,203resolved cases and 415deaths fromCOVID-19.

Public health officials have reported more than 22,600 COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, including nearly 22,000 resolved cases.

One hundred and eightpeople have died ofCOVID-19elsewhere in eastern Ontarioand 147people 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 must only leave home when it's essentialto avoidmoreCOVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

Places such as Kingston have started to take patients from other regions struggling with hospital capacity.

People who leave home for non-essential reasons can now be fined, though police won't be stopping people just for being outside.

Travel within Ontario is not recommended.Residents who leave the provinceshould isolate for 14 days upon returning.

Private indoor gatherings are not allowed, whileoutdoorgatherings are capped at five. It's strongly recommended people stick to their own households and socializing is not considered essential.

People who live alone are still allowed to interact with one other household.

Schools can reopen to general in-person learning Monday in theareasof eastern Ontario with lower COVID-19 levels not in Ottawa nor communities under the Eastern Ontario Health Unit. There is no return date for them.

WATCH | Ottawa parents react to the at-home learning extension:

Child-care centres remain open.

Outdoor recreation venues remain open.In-person shoppingis limited to essential businesses. Otherscan offerpickup and delivery.

The lockdown rules are in placeuntil at leastFeb. 11. Health officialssay there are signs they have slowed COVID-19's spread and there's been some talk about what it will take to lift them.

In western Quebec, residents are also being asked to stay home unless it's essential and not see anyone they don't live with to ease the "very critical" load on hospitals and avoid more delayed surgeries.

An exception for people living alone allows them to exclusivelyvisit one other home.

Quebec's 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfewis now in effect, with fines of up to $6,000 for breaking the rules.

The province hasshut downnon-essential businesses, but has brought students back to classrooms. Like in Ontario, travel from one region of Quebec to another is discouraged.

Those rules arein place until Feb. 8.

Distancing and isolating

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

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People can be contagious without symptoms.

This means it's important to take precautions likestaying home while symptomatic, keeping hands and frequently touched surfaces clean and maintaining distance from anyone you don't live with even with a mask on.

Masks, preferably with three layers, aremandatory in indoor public settingsin Ontarioand Quebec.

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

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.

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.

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

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 pandemic,andresources are available to help.

COVID-19 vaccineshave beengiven tohealth-care workersand long-term care residents in most of the region.Renfrew County expects its first doses in early February.

Local health units have said they've given more than 29,800 doses, including about 22,000 in Ottawa and more than 7,300 in western Quebec.

Ontario wants every long-term care resident and worker to have at least one shot by Feb. 15.That's already happened in Ottawa and across Quebec.

That, and Pfizer temporarily slowing its vaccine production to expand its factory, means some areas can't guarantee people will get a second dose three weeks after the first. It may take four to six weeks.

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Ontario's campaign is still expected toexpand to priority groups such as older adults and essential workers in March or April, with vaccines widely available to the public in August.

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

Quebec is alsogivinga single dose toas many people as possible, starting with people in care homes and health-care workers, then remote communities, then older adults and essential workers and finally the general public.

It said before Pfizer's announcementpeople willget their second dose within 90 days.

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.

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 Cornwall, Hawkesbury, Rockland and Winchester. ItsAlexandria and Casselman sites will reopen Monday.

People canarrange a testin Picton over the phoneor Bancroft, Belleville and Trenton, where online booking is preferred.

TheLeeds, Grenville and Lanarkhealth unit has permanent sites in Almonte, Brockville,Kemptvilleand Smiths Falls and a mobileclinic.

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

Renfrew Countytest clinic locationsare posted weekly. Residentscanalso call their family doctor or 1-844-727-6404 with health questions.

In western Quebec:

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

Outaouais residentscan make an appointment in Gatineauat 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond or 617 ave.Buckingham. They cancheck thewait 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 130 residents test positive on the Canadian side of the borderand five deaths. More than 240people have tested positive across the community.

Itscurfew from 11 p.m. to5 a.m. is back and ithasa COVID-19 test siteby 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.

Kitigan Zibilogged its first case in mid-December and has had a total of 18. TheMohawks of the Bay of Quintehad its only confirmed casein November.

• COVID-19 in Indigenous communities: Over 5,000 active cases in First Nations
• COVID-19 is hitting First Nations in Western Canada especially hard

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.