What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 27

Recent developments:

• Ottawa has 58 newCOVID-19 cases, one of the lowest daily counts this month.
• One more person with COVID-19 has died in western Quebec.
• Outdoor enthusiasts are lining up their exercise options for apandemic winter.

What's the latest?

A day after receiving praise from Ontario's health minister for its progress in curbing the spread of COVID-19, Ottawa has logged one of its lowest daily case counts of the month.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) reported 58 new cases Tuesday, while marking 65 more resolved. OPH is not reporting any additional deaths.

Quebec is reporting one more death from COVID-19 in the Outaouais, that region's sixthin as many days.

Canadians have taken to the outdoors for safer exercise in the warmer months of the pandemic. Now many are focusing on how to keep that going in the cold.

How many cases are there?

As of Tuesday'supdate from Ottawa Public Health (OPH),6,694Ottawa residents havetested positive for COVID-19.

There are 706known active cases,5,671 resolved cases and 317 deaths.

Public health officials have reported nearly 10,300COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, withmore than 8,600of them resolved.

Seventy-sixpeople with COVID-19 have diedelsewhere in eastern Ontario, along with 41in western Quebec.

What can I do?

Both Ontario and Quebec aretelling people to limit close contact only to those they live withor one other home if people live alone to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

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In Ottawa which has been rolled back to a modified Stage 2 and Gatineau, Que., health officials are asking residents not to leave homeunless it's essential.

Indoor dining at restaurants has been prohibited, while gyms, cinemas and performing arts venues are all closed.

Dr. Vera Etches, the national capital's medical officer of health,said earlier this month the city'shealth-care system is on the verge of collapse.

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OPH and some eastern Ontario health unitsare urging peoplenot to have a Halloweenparty with other households or go trick-or-treating.

The province's chief medical officer of health says Ontarians shouldlisten to local officials, but as a rule of thumb,if trick-or-treating is allowed, people should stick to their neighbourhood and do it outside with their household only.

New restrictions are now in effectin the Eastern OntarioHealth Uniteast of Ottawa, includinglimitson indoor dining and gym class sizes.

Gatineau and parts of the Outaouaisare onred alert, which meansrestaurants and bars can't serve people indoors, organized sports are suspended and theatresmust close.

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Quebecers are also urged not to travel to Ontario or between regions at different levels on its scale except for essential reasons.

Even though most of the region has been declared a red zone,PremierFranois Legault said kids can trick-or-treat as long as they don't go with friends and precautions are taken when giving out candy.

What about schools?

There have been more than 180schools in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region with a confirmed case of COVID-19:

• Conseil des coles catholiques du Centre-Est
• Conseil des coles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario
• Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
• Ottawa Catholic School Board

Few have had outbreaks, which are declared by a health unit in Ontario when there's a reasonable chance someone who has tested positive caught COVID-19 during a school activity.

As of mid-October, a small fraction of Ottawa students and staff had tested positive.

Distancing and isolating

The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes or speaks onto someone or something.

People can be contagious without symptoms.

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

Masks are mandatory in indoor public settings in Ontario and Quebecand are recommended outdoors when people can't distance from others.

Anyone with symptoms or who's ordered to do so by their local public health unitshouldself-isolate. The durationis subject to a range stipulated by health officials in bothOntario and Quebec.

Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems stay home as much as possible.

Anyone who has travelled recently outside Canada must go straight home and stay there for 14 days.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

COVID-19 can range from a cold-like illness to a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a cough, vomiting and the loss of taste or smell.

Less common symptoms include chills, headaches and pink eye. Children can develop a rash.

If you have severe symptoms, call 911.

Mental health can also be affected by the pandemic and resources are available to help.

Where to get tested

In eastern Ontario:

Ontario recommends only getting tested if you have symptoms, or if you've been told to by your health unit or the province.

Anyone seeking a testshould now book an appointment. Different sites in the area have different ways to book, including over the phone or going in person to get a time slot.

Testing numbers have been lower than the groups running it would like and they want people to know there are often same-day appointments available.

People without symptoms, but who are part of the province's targeted testing strategy, can make an appointment at selectpharmacies.

Ottawa has five permanent test sites, with additional mobile sites deployedwherever demand is particularly high.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unithas sites in Alexandria, Cornwall, Hawkesbury, Limoges,Rockland and Winchester.

The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark health unit has permanent sites in Almonte, Brockville, Kemptville and Smiths Falls.

Kingston'stest site isat the Beechgrove Complex. The area'sother test siteis in Napanee. Both are open seven days a week.

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People can arrange a test in Bancroft and Picton by calling the centre or Belleville and Trenton online.

Renfrew County residents should call their family doctor or1-844-727-6404 for a test or with questions, COVID-19-related or not. Test clinic locations are posted weekly.

In western Quebec:

Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms or who have been in contact with someone with symptoms.

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

They can now check the approximate wait time for the Saint-Raymond site.

There are recurring clinics by appointment incommunities such as Gracefield, Val-des-Monts and Fort-Coulonge.

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

First Nations, Inuit and Mtis:

AkwesasnehasaCOVID-19 test site available by appointment only. It expects to bring back its mobile site in the spring.

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 reasons is asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

People in Pikwakanagan can book a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259.

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

Inuit in Ottawa cancall 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 local eastern Ontario health unit.
• The Ontario Ministry of Health (in several languages).
• The Centre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada.