Friday, 27 March 2020

Message from Ottawa Public Health


As Ottawa Public Health and the City of Ottawa continue to move forward in our response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we are writing to provide greater clarity on a number of communications and ask for your support in sharing information with members of your community.
 
It is important to recognize that the COVID-19 situation is evolving very quickly. Please refer to OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Coronavirus to stay up-to-date on the latest information. 

For information relevant to businesses and workplaces, please visit: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/workplacecovid19
 
Social Distancing

Ottawa Public Health is urging everyone to practice physical (social) distancing. More information on physical (social) distancing for you and your family can be found on our website.

The province of Ontario is ordering non-essential workplaces to close-down as of Tuesday March 24, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Further details can be found on the OPH website for workplaces.

Our efforts are needed as a community. The actions you take will affect not only you but your loved ones and our community’s most vulnerable residents. While we appreciate that people are thinking of their loved ones, now is not the time to visit them in person. Luckily, we have technology on our side, which enables us to communicate in other creative ways like video chats and group phone calls.

Physical (social) distancing by all is IMPERATIVE to limit transmission in the community, to protect older adults, vulnerable populations and outbreaks in institutions. We must “flatten the curve” so we don’t see spikes in cases. This means that we want to slow down transmission of the virus and reduce the number of cases in the community that happen at the same time, so that our health system continues to work properly. Here are some ways that you and your family can practise physical (social) distancing:  

  • Talk to your supervisor, manager, or employer about the possibility of working from home where possible.  
  • Avoid visiting elderly friends or relatives. Use the telephone, video chats or social media to stay connected unless the visit is absolutely essential.  
  • Avoid all non-essential trips outside your home.  
  • Keep the windows down if you have to go into the community for an essential trip via taxi or rideshare.  

  • Cancel group gatherings and limit your contact to those within your home. 
  • Hold virtual meetings or get-togethers.   
  • Spend time outside and in settings where people can maintain a two-metre (six feet) distance from each other. 

·        Take precautions to maintain distance in shared spaces in multi-unit dwellings;

·        Avoid crowded elevators (wait for an empty one if you can). 

·        Avoid using the mail room or laundry room at the same time as other residents (keep to a small number at a time to maintain distance).  
 
Physical (social) distancing does not mean emotional distancing. Check in with others by phone or other technology. Check in with yourself. It’s ok not to be ok. Please know that help is available, and we encourage you to reach out to Distress Centre of Ottawa to connect with someone at 613-238-3311 if needed.
 

Self-Isolation

Many people are returning home from March Break or winter travel and will need groceries and essential items. It is imperative that all returning travellers self-isolate for 14 days, so groceries and essential items should be picked up by a family member or friend, or through on-line ordering options. Visit our website for further guidance on self-isolation. We have been working with the Ottawa International Airport to ensure this is being communicated clearly to returning travellers.

You also need to self-isolate if you live with, provided care for, or spent extensive time with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, OR is suspected to have COVID-19, OR who has respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath) that started within 14 days of travel outside of Canada.
 
Human Needs Taskforce

Our community partners are working together through the City’s Human Needs Task Force for those requiring assistance.  The task force is receiving, assessing and triaging all social and human needs inquiries, while mobilizing and supporting community organizations to address urgent community needs. The Human Needs Task Force aligns internal city resources, external partners, existing funding and new funding to community need.
 

Outreach to Isolated Seniors

The Good Companions’ Seniors Centre Without Walls has expanded its services with a focus on outreach to vulnerable and isolated seniors and other populations. Emotional and practical support is provided via telephone. In addition, they have trained 20 agencies (32 staff) to do similar outreach calls through various programs.

Rural Ottawa Support Services is working with Good Companions to provide similar telephone outreach and practical supports to isolated seniors through their A Friendly Voice program, which does wellness calls connecting seniors to local services and programs.

Ottawa Community Housing has facilitated wellness check phone calls to approximately 2,700 residents, focusing on people identified on the Fire Evacuation List.
 

Food Security

Ottawa Food Bank is supporting the emergency food centres and are coordinating with other task force members to sort and deliver food where needed. Demand has increased by 30 per cent across community food banks. They are working with the Salvation Army to support distribution of food hampers offered by local restauranteurs. The City is providing facility space for safe storage of food hampers.

Meals on Wheels has been increasing offers of frozen food for seniors in the Ottawa area and connecting with Ottawa Food Bank to provide hamper supplies and deliveries. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, they are delivering 100 fresh and 700 frozen meals daily. These services have ensured a supply of full dinners for those individuals in need.
 

Urgent Transportation

Working with other non-profit organizations, the Good Companions and Champlain Community Support Network are coordinating urgent transportation to medical appointments, assessment centres, and food centres/grocery stores for those with financial constraints, transportation difficulties, and/or health and mobility issues.

Services can be accessed by contacting Good Companions website or by telephone at 613-236-0428.
 

Volunteer Coordination

The City and United Way of Eastern Ontario are developing a plan to support volunteer coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteer Ottawa has established a pool of pre-screened volunteers and will continue to accept new applicants.
 
Stay Updated

Information is changing rapidly and Ottawa Public Health is working around the clock to provide information to the public as soon as possible.

Please share this information and receive the latest updates by:

-        Visiting OttawaPublicHealth.ca/Coronavirus frequently

-        Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ottawahealth

-        Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/ottawahealth

Reduce the spread of germs including the flu and COVID-19

  •  Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer. 
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth unless you have just cleaned your hands. 
  • Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue or into your arm, not your hand.
  • Stay home if you are sick. 
 

Thank you for your partnership.

Tuesday, 17 March 2020

COVID-19


We have all been watching the news and latest government announcements concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and we understand that many people in our community are concerned.
 
The Government of Ontario declared a state of emergency today in order to slow the spread of this virus in our communities.  This means additional closures and the prohibition of gatherings of over 50 people.
 
We will be suspending our in-person meetings until we receive notification that it is safe to resume.
 
Please reach out the Community Association at qtsrcommunity@gmail.com if you need help.
 
Resources:
 
Ottawa Public Health – COVID-19
 

 

 
Canadian Medical Association. Information for physicians and the public on the coronavirus
 

 

Wednesday, 11 March 2020

City of Ottawa Accessibility Spotlight

The City of Ottawa is pleased to celebrate the 17th annual AccessAbility Day. This event recognizes the City’s accessibility achievements and commitment to inclusion across services, programs and facilities.
Please join Mayor Jim Watson and City Manager Steve Kanellakos for the Opening Ceremony and Proclamation of AccessAbility Day in Ottawa.

When:           Thursday May 28, 2020
Time:             10 AM
Location:      Andrew S. Haydon Hall, Ottawa City Hall

All activities have been designed with inclusion in mind.
Please mark your calendars. Registration will open on April 15
 

Community Safety and Well-Being Plan Consultations

A Community Safety and Well-Being banner portraying a diverse community.
The City of Ottawa is in the process of developing Ottawa’s Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan as required by the Safer Ontario Act, 2018. The Plan will identify strategies and actions to address local priorities to improve safety and well-being in Ottawa. This is a collaborative effort as no one resident, group or sector can address these issues on their own.

You are invited to participate in the engagement activities throughout the month of March as follows:

March Community Conversation Meetings – Register now:
Join us at one of four in-person community conversation meetings for a brief introduction to the project. This is also an opportunity for you to provide feedback at facilitated small-group discussions.

Please register for your preferred date as space is limited.

Engagement Survey:
An online Community Safety and Well-Being survey is available as a way to share your ideas and feedback on issues related to well-being and safety. Your suggestions will help inform the priorities for the Plan going forward. The survey is available on Engage Ottawa from March 3rd until April 3rd and is available in French and English. 

Community Engagement Toolkit:
A Community Engagement Toolkit is available to support community groups in facilitating their own small group discussions. For more information on how you can host your own small group discussion using the Community Engagement Toolkit, please contact us by email at CSWB/SBEC@ottawa.ca, or by phone at 613-580-2424 ext. 42489.

Questions?
If you have any questions, you may contact us by email at CSWB/SBEC@ottawa.ca, by phone at 613-580-2424 ext. 42489, or by visiting Engage Ottawa for additional information.
 
 
Remember, you can request accessible formats of City public documents and we welcome your disability-related feedback on the accessibility of our services, programs and facilities through the following channels:

City of Ottawa Museums - March 2020

Travel back in time this March Break

 
From March 16 to 20, your child can discover new heritage skills as they spend Mornings on the Homestead at Nepean Museum. From leather working to bread making, a new adventure awaits each day. The deadline to register is Thursday, March 12.
 

Mystery is afoot at Billings Estate

 
One day only!  A house divided. A mystery to solve. Live History returns to the museum on Saturday, March 21 with an exciting new interactive experience inspired by Billings family history. Tickets on sale now.
 

Save the date for Easter fun!

 
""
Easter at the Estate (Billings Estate National Historic Site):
Saturday, April 11 from 9 am to 3 pm.

Bell’s Bunny Hop* (Fairfields Heritage House):
Saturday, April 11 from 10 am to 4 pm.
*Registration is required.

Hop into Spring (Cumberland Heritage Village Museum):
Saturday, April 11 from 10 am to 4 pm.
 

Makers at the Museum: Natural Silk Dyeing

 
Spend a relaxing afternoon at Fairfields Heritage House on Saturday, April 4 as you learn to create a beautiful piece of wearable silk art using natural dyes. Registration is required.
 

Coming soon to a library near you

 
Billings Estate National Historic Site, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, and Pinhey’s Point Historic Site have partnered with the Ottawa Public Library to deliver a unique selection of heritage-inspired programs at branches across the city this March Break. Visit the OPL’s Programs and Events page for further details and to register your child.
 

Mother's Day Tea

 
The beautiful grounds at the historic Billings Estate provide a unique backdrop for a three-tier fixed menu tea service including a wide selection of teas and delicious treats that are baked in-house. Capacity is limited. Reservations open Wednesday, April 1 at 10 am. Please call 613-580-2088 ext. 35258 and leave a single voicemail message with the following information:
  • Name;
  • Phone number;
  • Number of seats you would like to reserve (maximum reservation size is 10 and large groups will be split between tables of four or six);
  • TWO preferred seating times (10:30 am; 12:30 pm; or 2:30 pm);
  • Allergy or accessibility concerns (regrettably, last minute requests for accommodations on the day of the event cannot be met).
 

Artefact spotlight

 
Postcards from Vars, Ontario
Postcards rose to popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as an efficient, and affordable, way to stay in contact with family and friends across the country (and further abroad, although usually at an additional cost) before telephones became widely adopted. While early post office issued cards were rather plain, souvenir postcards from events such as the World’s Columbian Exhibition (1892-93) in Chicago helped to popularize picture postcards. The two postcards included here are local examples of this phenomenon showing a Vars, Ontario streetscape (c. 1911) and the Vars Cheese Factory (c. 1920-1930) respectively. The former Vars train station now welcomes visitors to the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum and a new exhibition will open in the train station beginning in May.
 

Discover a Cabinet of Curiosities

 
This summer we are pulling back the curtain on the City of Ottawa Museums’ collections! Join us as we create our own Cabinet of Curiosities showcasing some of the lesser known artefacts that represent Ottawa’s history. Catch a sneak preview of this exhibition at the Atrium Gallery (Ben Franklin Place) beginning March 20.
 

Volunteer opportunity

 
This summer, experience what life was like for rural residents during the 1920s and 30s in Eastern Ontario by portraying a store merchant, a teacher, a farmer, a quilter, or a homemaker at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum.

To learn more, or to register for the information session, visit ottawa.ca/volunteer, go to ‘Browse all volunteer opportunities’, search ‘Animator’, and click the link entitled Volunteer Animator Information Session - 2020 Summer Season. Volunteers must be 14 years of age or older.

Please note that the deadline to register for the information session(s) is March 20, 2020. Feel free to contact heritagevolunteers@ottawa.ca with additional questions.
 

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