Feb. 11 COVID-19 update: Newest numbers, March Break delayed, Ontario misses LTC vaccination deadline by a bit

OTTAWA – Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is reporting 56 new cases of COVID-19 today (Feb. 11), while it monitors three new community outbreaks of the virus stemming from workplaces.

There are five ongoing outbreaks linked to workplaces in Ottawa. OPH says there are also outbreaks at seven different childcare centres or schools, and 19 at local healthcare institutions.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Ottawa is up slightly today at 413, while local hospitalization numbers remain steady at 19 with four COVID-19 patients in intensive care.

No new deaths were reported leaving the city’s pandemic death toll at 428.

Ottawa’s positivity rate remains at 1.5 per cent.

There have been 34,744 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the city. OPH has confirmed 13,815 cases of novel coronavirus in Ottawa, with 12,974 of them resolved since March of 2020.

Ontario is reporting 945 new cases of COVID-19 today, including 15 in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, five in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark district and three in Renfrew County.

March Break postponed

ONTARIO – Get ready for the first ever April Break.

The Government of Ontario is postponing March Break until the week of April 12.

“In support of our collective efforts to keep schools safe, we are postponing March break until April 12,” Education Minister Stephen Lecce released in a statement today. “This decision was made with the best advice of Ontario’s chief medical officer of health and public health officials, including consultations with many local medical officers of health.”

The education minister said it’s critical the Ford government follow public health advice to protect schools and avoid a repeat of the spike in youth-related cases.

“Postponing March Break, not cancelling it, is an important way that schools can help to limit community transmission,” Lecce said. “We recognize the congregation is a key driver of the spread of COVID-19; something we realized over the winter break. We will not take that risk again with your child, with our staff, with Ontario families.”

The Ford government maintained its hard stance on travelling, saying Ontarians should refrain from doing so, “particularly given the increase in new variants that pose a direct risk to our country.”

Ontario LTC vaccination deadline missed by that much

ONTARIO – Ontario’s minister of long-term care is apologizing for an earlier statement claiming all residents in the province’s long-term care homes had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The province had promised to achieve that goal by Feb. 10, and this morning (Feb. 11) Long-term Care Minister Dr. Merrilee Fullerton said in a statement the goal had been met.

A spokesperson for Fullerton issued a statement later this afternoon saying residents in a few long-term care homes have yet to receive the first dose of the vaccine.

Krystle Caputo says, “a miscommunication” was to blame for the error, which the government “regrets.”

She said the government expects the outstanding homes will be finished in the coming days. 

The Ministry of Long-Term Care said earlier today more than 62,000 residents had received the first dose of the vaccine, and more than 34,000 of them had received their second dose.