City of Ottawa to mark 5 years since start of COVID-19 pandemic

CTV’s Patricia Boal discusses the anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, medical officer of health for the Eastern Ont. Health Unit.

The City of Ottawa is marking five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, triggering a wave of public health measures and restrictions on populations that were meant to help stop the spread of the deadly virus.

Since that time, more than 1,200 residents of Ottawa have died from COVID-19, many of them in long-term care facilities in the city.

A flag outside the Heritage Building at Ottawa City Hall will be lowered to half-mast Tuesday to commemorate the lives lost to COVID-19.

Ottawa Public Health announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Ottawa on March 11, 2020. Since then, Ottawa Public Health reported tens of thousands of cases in residents of all ages.

According to the most recent public health statistics, COVID-19 levels are currently low in Ottawa. More than 800 residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 this viral season, more than for influenza or RSV.

Dr. Paul Roumeliotis, medical officer of health for the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, recalled those difficult weeks when the virus began to spread in Ottawa.

“It was a time of not knowing what was happening, constantly changing, constantly stressing everyone,” Roumeliotis told CTV’s Patricia Boal.

He says there are a number of lessons officials can learn from the pandemic, including how to better communicate with the public to avoid the spread of misinformation.

“Communication, information I think was the most important thing in terms of us getting ahead of the misinformation and clarifying why we made these decisions,” he said.

“We’re learning how to be less blunt and use a more surgical approach in terms of closures, but again, we did this in the betterment of our community, we wanted to protect the most vulnerable.”

He adds that a decrease in vaccinations for other viruses, including measles, has been an “unwanted consequence” of lockdowns and closures.

“We’re getting a lot of measles cases because we’re not vaccinated,” he said.

March 2020: A look back

Things moved quickly in the days and weeks following the declaration of a global pandemic. Here is a brief timeline of some notable events in 2020 as COVID-19 changed the world.

March 11: First case of COVID-19 confirmed in Ottawa

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches and Mayor Jim Watson held a press conference to announce that Ottawa had recorded its first official case of COVID-19.

March 12: March Break extended

The provincial government shut down all publicly funded schools in the province for two additional weeks after March Break.

Students would later end up learning from home with online programs until the end of the 2019-2020 school year.

March 13: COVID-19 assessment centre established

The Brewer Arena became a hub for COVID-19 testing within days of Ottawa’s first confirmed case. The site was meant to keep people out of hospital emergency rooms.

March 15: Advice to remain home

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches urged residents to remain home unless they must go out for essential reasons. She also urged people to work from home, if possible.

March 16: City of Ottawa closes all municipal facilities

In an effort to stop people from gathering and spreading the virus, municipal facilities in Ottawa were ordered close. They would reopen in June.

March 24: Non-essential businesses ordered closed

Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered all non-essential businesses to shut down to help prevent the spread of the virus. Grocery stores, pharmacies and the LCBO and Beer Store were allowed to stay open. Restaurants were restricted to take-out and delivery only.

March 25: City of Ottawa declares state of emergency

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared a local state of emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 25: Ottawa declares first COVID-19 death

A man in his 90s, who had been admitted to hospital five days earlier with a fever, died. His death was marked as the first in the city due to COVID-19. The man had no travel history and had been living at home prior to getting sick.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Pringle and CTV News at Six