What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Tuesday, Jan. 26

Recent developments:

• Ottawa is reporting 23 more COVID-19 cases and one more death.
• Quebec says some pandemic rules should be loosened next month.
• The federal government will soon announce new travel restrictions.

What's the latest?

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) recorded 23 new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, the lowest daily total of the month.

OPH also reported one more death and 137 more cases resolved.

Quebec PremierFranois Legaultsayspandemic rules should be loosened in some areas of the province as of Feb. 8, when Quebec's current lockdown is set to end.

He promised another update next week,but warned plans could change again if the situation in the provinceworsens.

WATCH LIVE | Quebec's pandemic news conference starts at 1 p.m. ET:

COVID-19s unequal economic recession

4 years ago

Duration 2:34

More than a million Canadians are still under- or unemployed as a result of COVID-19, but the crisis also allowed others, who were easily able to work from home, save more money.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says new travel restrictions are coming, and advised Canadians tocancel any travel plans.

How many cases are there?

As of Tuesday, 13,000Ottawa residents havetested positive for COVID-19. There are 754known active cases, 11,826resolved cases and 420deaths fromCOVID-19.

Public health officials have reportedmore than 24,100COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, includingmore than 21,000resolved cases.

One hundred and fourteenpeople have died ofCOVID-19elsewhere in eastern Ontarioand 150 people 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. Some places, like Kingston, Ont., have started taking on patients from other regions struggling with hospital capacity.

People who leave home for non-essential reasons can now be fined, though police won'tstoppeople 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.

Students in areas covered byfour of eastern Ontario's six health units can return to the classroom, but not in Ottawa or the area covered by the Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU).

Most outdoor recreation venues remain open, although Ottawahas closed one of the mostpopular sledding hills. The Rideau Canal Skateway is expected to open this week under pandemic rules.

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 beentalk about what it will take to lift them.

There are also more contagious variants of COVID-19 to consider.

WATCH |Where the lopsided economic impact of COVID-19goes from here:

Reflecting on the changes worth keeping after COVID-19

4 years ago

Duration 7:11

Canadians have all adapted to change to some degree since the pandemic started one year ago. Four Canadians reflect on whether some of those changes will be worth keeping after it's over.

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.

• Here's what we know about outdoor transmission of COVID-19 during winter

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.

WATCH | Are there pandemic habits worth keeping?

COVID-19 vaccineshave started beinggiven 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 33,600 doses, including about 23,900 in Ottawa and more than 8,400 in western Quebec.

The fact Pfizer is temporarily slowing its vaccine production to expand its factory, however, means some jurisdictions can't guarantee people will get the necessary second dose three weeks after the first. It may take four to six weeks.

Ontario is giving its available doses to care home residents and delaying them for health-care workers.

Its campaign is still expected toexpand to priority groups such as older adults and essential workers in March or April, with vaccines widely available inAugust.

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

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.

Before Pfizer's announcement, the province said people wouldget their second dose within 90 days.

It has had to delay vaccinating people in private seniors' homes.

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.

The KFL&A health unit sayspeople that have left southeastern Ontario or been in contact with someone who has should get a test as they track one of the new COVID-19 variants.

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.

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 140 residents test positive on the Canadian side of the borderand six deaths. More than 280people 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 20. TheMohawks of the Bay of Quintehad their only confirmed casein November.

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.