What you need to know about COVID-19 in Ottawa on Monday, Dec. 21

Recent developments:

• An Ontario-wide lockdownstarts Saturday.
• Ottawa's mayor rails against the province, pushing for a shorter lockdown in Ottawa.
• Ottawa is reporting 31 more COVID-19 cases.
• Two more western Quebec residents have died of COVID-19.
• City of Ottawa officials are giving an update at 3 p.m. ET.

What's the latest?

The Ontario government isimposing a provincewidelockdown startingDec. 26, returning southern portions of the province which includeseastern Ontario to rules similar to early spring for four weeks.

Among many changes, that means only leaving home for essential reasons, delaying a return to in-person learning in schoolsand closing in-person dining and non-essential shopping.

The provincesays the coronavirus is spreading too quickly, causing too many people to need hospital care and die and those trends will continue, including spreading to areas with lower case counts,without a shutdown across Ontario.

Premier Doug Ford said Ottawa is doing a great job managing its spreadbut there is too much risk if its rules don't match those of western Quebec.

OttawaMayor Jim Watson says he's asking the province for a shorter lockdownperiod for the nation's capital, citing the "devastating impact" the new provincewidelockdowns will have on the city's economy.

Ottawa is reporting 31 more people testing positive for COVID-19 Monday, while western Quebec has 67 more cases and two more deaths.

How many cases are there?

As of Monday,9,384people had tested positive for COVID-19 in Ottawa. There are 378 known active cases, 8,617resolved cases and 389deaths linked toCOVID-19.

Public health officials have reported more than 16,400 COVID-19 cases across eastern Ontario and western Quebec, includingmore than14,500 resolved cases.

Ninety-onepeople have died ofCOVID-19elsewhere in eastern Ontarioand 99 people have died in western Quebec.

CBC Ottawa is profiling those who've died of COVID-19. If you'd like to share your loved one's story, please get in touch.

What can I do?

This section is being updated given today's Ontario announcement.

Before today's announcement, both Ontario and Quebec were tellingpeople tolimit close contact only to those they live with, or one other home if people live alone,to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

In western Quebec, nowconsidered a red zone by thatprovince, health officials are asking residents not to leave home unless it's essential, including for Christmas. There is an exception for people living alone.

Being in the red means no indoor dining atrestaurantsandgyms, cinemas and performing arts venues are all closed.

Quebec will shut downnon-essential businesses between Fridayand Jan. 11 and hasextended holiday school closures until Jan. 11.

Travel from one region to another is discouraged throughout Quebec.

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What about schools?

There have been more than 230 schools in the wider Ottawa-Gatineau region with a confirmed case of COVID-19:

• Conseil des coles catholiques du Centre-Est
• Conseil des coles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario
• Ottawa-Carleton District School Board
• Ottawa Catholic School Board

Few have had outbreaks, which are declared by a health unit in Ontario when there's a reasonable chance someone who has tested positive caught COVID-19 during a school activity.

Distancing and isolating

The novel coronavirus primarily spreads through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes or speaks onto someone or something. These droplets can hang in the air.

People can be contagious without symptoms.

This means people should take precautions such as staying home when sick, keeping hands and frequently touched surfaces clean, socializing outdoors as much as possible and maintaining distance from anyone they don't live with even with a mask on.

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Ontario has abandoned its concept of social circles.

Masks aremandatory in indoor public settings in Ontarioand Quebec and should be wornoutdoors when people can't distance from others. Three-layer non-medical masks with a filterare recommended.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate, as should those who've beenordered to do so by their local public health unit. The durationdepends on the circumstances in both Ontario and Quebec.

Health Canada recommends older adults and people with underlying medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems stay home as much as possible and get friends and family to help with errands.

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Anyone who has travelled recently outside Canadamust go straight home and stay there for 14 days.

Canada and several European countries have temporarilyhaltedflights from the U.K. in response to anew coronavirus strain.

Symptoms and vaccines

COVID-19can range from a cold-like illness to a severe lung infection, with common symptoms including fever, a cough, vomiting and the loss of taste or smell.Children can develop a rash.

If you have severe symptoms, call 911.

Mental health can also be affected by the pandemic and resources are available to help.

Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine has been approved by Health Canada.

Doses are now being given tohealth-care workers in Ottawaas part of a pilot project.Western Quebec'sfirst COVID-19 vaccines are beingadministered atCHSLD Lionel-mondin Gatineau today.

While details are scarce,it's expected the general public will be able toget vaccinated betweenApril andSeptember 2021.

Where to get tested

Many clinics have different hours around Christmas and New Year's Day, withmore information in the links below.

In eastern Ontario:

Anyone seeking a test shouldbook an appointment.

Ontario recommends only getting tested if you have symptoms,if you've been told to by your health unit or the province, or if you fit certain other criteria. That no longer includes international travellers.

People without symptoms, but who are part of the province's targeted testing strategy,can make an appointment at select pharmacies.

Ottawa hasnine permanent test sites, with mobile siteswherever demand is particularly high.

TheEastern Ontario Health Unit has sites in Alexandria, Casselman, Cornwall, Hawkesbury, Rockland and Winchester.

People canarrange a test in Bancroft and Picton by calling the centre or Belleville and Trenton, where online booking is preferred.

Kingston's main test site is at theBeechgrove Complex.Another site is in Napanee.

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The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark health unit has permanent sites in Almonte, Brockville, Kemptville and Smiths Falls and a mobile test clinicvisitingsmaller communities or people with problems getting to a site.

Renfrew County residents should call their family doctor or 1-844-727-6404 for a test or with questions, COVID-19-related or not. Test clinic locations are posted weekly.

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In western Quebec:

Tests are strongly recommended for people with symptoms or who have been in contact with someone with symptoms.

Outaouais residents can make an appointment in Gatineau seven days a week at 135 blvd. Saint-Raymond or 617 avenue Buckingham.

They can now check the approximate wait time for the Saint-Raymond site.

There are recurring clinics by appointment in communities such as Gracefield, Val-des-Monts and Fort-Coulonge.

Call 1-877-644-4545 with questions, including if walk-in testing is available nearby.

First Nations, Inuit and Mtis:

Akwesasnehad most of its knownCOVID-19 cases in November, with the virus still spreading in that community.Its councilis asking residents to avoid unnecessary travel, and its curfew from 11 p.m. to5 a.m. is back.

Akwesasneschools and itsTsi Snaihne Child Care Centreare temporarily closed to in-person learning. Ithas a COVID-19 test site available by appointment only.

Anyone returning to the community on the Canadian side of the international border who's been farther than 160 kilometres away or visited Montreal for non-essential reasons is asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

The Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte had its first confirmed casein November and Kitigan Zibilogged its first in mid-December.

People in Pikwakanagan can book a COVID-19 test by calling 613-625-2259.

Anyone in Tyendinaga who's interested in a test can call 613-967-3603.

Inuit in Ottawa can call the Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team at 613-740-0999 for service, including testing, in Inuktitut or English on weekdays.

For more information

• Ottawa Public Health.
• Your local eastern Ontario health unit.
• The Ontario Ministry of Health (in several languages).
• The Centre intgr de sant et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada.