New COVID-19 outbreak at Ottawa retirement home as citywide tally hits 122

Ottawa public health officialshave confirmed 16 new cases of COVID-19 in the city, including a second outbreakat aretirement home.

Dr. Vera Etches, the city's medical officer of health, said in an update Sunday afternoon that Ottawa Public Health was investigating an outbreak of the respiratory illness at the Maplewood Retirement Community.

The Industrial Avenue retirement home is the second in the city to have a confirmed case of COVID-19, after a resident at the Promenade retirement home in Orlans fell ill last week.

All residents at the home are now in self-isolation, Etches said, and staff have been urged to wear masks when entering the building.

The city's fire department also has its first case of COVID-19 after an employee recently fell ill, said John Sobey, president of the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association.

While Ottawa Fire Services hasn't seen a reduction in staffing, Sobey said his union has been in talks with the fire chief's office to determine a plan should more firefighters require time off.

Sobey told Radio-Canada Sunday thatcrews have been"diligent" in ensuring stations, vehicles, and firefighting equipment are all disinfected and ready for use.

The new numbers announced Sunday bring the total of confirmed cases in the national capital to 122.

Elsewhere in the region

Just outside the city, three residents and one staff member at theAlmonte Country Haven, a retirement home in Almonte, Ont., have also tested positive for COVID-19.

A post on the retirement home's Facebook page said that staff had made the "difficult decision to isolate every resident to their room" to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

The four cases are among 15 that have been confirmed in the region in the past few days, according totheLeeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit.

Ontario's health ministry wasreporting 211 new cases of COVID-19 Sunday, bringing the provincial total to 1,355.

In the Outaouais, meanwhile, public health officials also confirmed two new cases Sunday, bringing the total there to 28.

As of Sunday, Quebec had 2,840 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 22 deaths.