City ready for fallout from rise of Omicron

OTTAWA – City of Ottawa staff say they are well-prepared with contingencies as emergency and essential workers staff deal with the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19.

“Since the start of the pandemic, the City of Ottawa has worked to ensure essential services, like waste pick-up, snow clearing and more, continue to be provided for Ottawa residents,” city staff released in a statement yesterday (Jan. 12). “The dedication of thousands of frontline workers, many performing roles they are unaccustomed to, has allowed the city to continue providing services to you, your family and your neighbours throughout this pandemic.”

So far, staff absences due to illness and isolation has not had a significant impact on services. But that could change, and if it does, the city says it will inform residents as quickly as possible.

Here is information about some key city services and some simple steps you can take to ensure you get accurate information about them when and where you need it.

Emergency services

We know that maintaining emergency services for you is critical. Ottawa Fire Services and Ottawa Paramedic Services will continue to respond to emergency calls quickly and to keep Ottawa residents safe. Please call 911 only for life-threatening emergencies so that our critical resources are available for critical situations.

Garbage and recycling

If we know your curbside collection will be delayed for any reason, we will inform you through the Recollect app. You can download the app or simply register for email updates by entering your address online. If your curbside waste was not collected by the end of the day, please leave it out, or place it out again for pickup the following morning.

Childcare centres and long term care homes

Clients of city-run childcare centres and long-term care homes will be contacted directly if there are any changes to the scheduling or policies at individual centres. Please keep your current lines of communication with those facilities open.

Transit and Para Transpo

There are many options for you to stay informed about transit impacts.

• Review Transit Information Screens at many stations that list departure times and system updates.
• Text 560560 or call 613-560-1000 and enter your four-digit bus stop number or first three letters of the station name for real-time bus schedule information.
• Download the OC Transpo app or an independent app.
• Sign up for SMS or email alerts for ongoing detours.
• Call (613) 560-5000 for information on scheduling and other services.

Winter operations

We announce road maintenance plans, including winter weather parking bans, through the news media and on Facebook and Twitter before every winter weather event. The City’s winter maintenance standards have not been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shelters

The City of Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health and Ottawa Inner City Health continue to work together to ensure the City’s shelters, respite centres and physical distancing centres have adequate safe spaces available so that anyone sleeping rough has a place to come inside. People who are in urgent need of shelter can call 3-1-1 for assistance, where the city can assess their needs and provide support accordingly.

Other service impacts

The city offers hundreds of other services every day and there are too many to list here. But, you can be the first to hear about significant schedule changes or major service impacts by following the city through social media, e-subscriptions, and the City of Ottawa app. We also share emergency information through these channels.

“We know there is disruption in nearly every element of our lives right now,” staff said. “Be assured city employees are working to reduce disruption to the city services that you rely on every day.”

For more information on city programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 311 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service.