COVID-19 in Ottawa:
Ottawa’s Top Doctor Vera Etches has confirmed a third COVID-19-related death in our city.
It’s the second death related to the Novel Coronavirus at the Promenade Retirement Home in Orleans.
There are fourteen new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Capital Tuesday. That sends the total number of cases up to 144.
Carleton University Case:
The President of Carleton University is confirming that a staff member has contracted COVID-19.
Benoit-Antoine Bacon says the university is trying to inform anyone who may have been in contact with the staff member.
He adds that staff have been working from home since March 13th.
COVID-19 Ontario:
There are now close to 2000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario, with 260 new ones reported Tuesday.
The 1,966 cases include 33 deaths and 534 resolved. About 11 per cent of people confirmed to have COVID-19 in Ontario have been hospitalized.
Meanwhile, the Province is extending school closures until May 4. Premier Doug Ford confirmed the decision at a news conference Tuesday afternoon, saying he’s following the advice of medical experts.
School boards across the province have been working on plans to help children learn from home.
Federal Response:
The federal government has purchased 157-million surgical masks and more than 60-million N95 masks, to help health care workers stop the spread of COVID-19.
There are also 1,570 ventilators on order, with plans to procure 4,000 more.
Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s Top Doctor, stresses the greatest concern now is the introduction and spread of the virus in places where high-risk populations reside, including long-term care homes, remote First Nations and prisons.
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Request:
The Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami is calling for air transportation to be designated an essential service in all 51 Inuit communities for the duration of the pandemic.
ITK president Natan Obed says flights are the sole transportation for food, medicine and other essential supplies in all but two of Canada’s northern Inuit communities in the winter and spring.
Air transportation is required to take patients who need medical treatment to urban hospitals and is also needed for COVID-19 testing.