For the 1st time in weeks, COVID trends aren’t rising in Ottawa – CBC

CHEO’s chief of staff asks people to wear masks to protect kids

Nov 08, 2022

Ottawa’s medical officer of health is urging people to protect themselves and others ahead of what’s likely going to be a challenging winter for the city’s well-being.

Vaccines are the best protection against the flu and COVID-19, said Dr. Vera Etches last week, while asking people to stay home when sick and wear masks in indoor and crowded areas. She again recommends keeping hands and surfaces clean during what she’s calling an “extraordinary respiratory [illness] season.”

The chief of staff at CHEO spoke to Ottawa’s board of health Monday about the influx of patients at her pediatric hospital, and asked the public to resume masking to protect children. It’s having to send kids to other hospitals for care, said Dr. Lindy Samson.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) said in its weekly Thursday check-in that COVID-19 levels remain high. For the first time since late summer, though, the key numbers below aren’t rising.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/covid19-ottawa-current-cases-status-november-2022-1.6643047