Outbreak Reports in Ottawa Healthcare Institutions

The City of Ottawa outbreak status dashboard is presented below. This dashboard is posted weekdays and summarizes all currently active outbreaks in institutional settings, congregate settings, childcare and schools, and outbreaks that have been declared over since the last posting. The information in this status report is accurate at the date and time of posting. Please contact the facilities for changes that may occur between postings.

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) recommends that anyone visiting an institution that is experiencing an outbreak: 
  • Not visit if you are ill
  • Always check in at the reception or front desk upon arrival
  • Adhere to all infection control measures provided to you by the facility
  • If the facility is experiencing an outbreak and you must visit, make your visit brief and visit only your loved one
  • Clean your hands often while in the facility with alcohol-based hand sanitizer especially:
    • When entering the facility and before leaving
    • Before entering and after leaving a resident's room
    • Before eating or assisting a resident with his/her meals
    • After going to the washroom or blowing your nose
  • If your hands are visibly soiled, you will need to wash with liquid soap and water
  • Get immunized against influenza every year
Responsibilities of Healthcare Institutions
The Health Protection and Promotion Act (HPPA) requires healthcare institutions like hospitals, long-term care home and retirement homes to report outbreaks to their local health authority.  The health authority for the City of Ottawa is Ottawa Public Health.  The most common outbreaks in institutions include gastroenteritis and respiratory infection outbreaks.  Gastroenteritis is an illness that generally causes symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever while a respiratory infection is an illness whose symptoms may include new or worsening cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat, fever/chills. 
Responsibilities of Ottawa Public Health (OPH)

Under the HPPA, OPH is required to investigate all reports of suspected and confirmed outbreaks.  OPH assists these institutions in implementing appropriate infection control measure to diminish the severity and length of any outbreak that they experience.  OPH also works with collaboratively with institutions to proactively prevent and control outbreaks and implement infection prevention and control best practices.

Should you have any questions, please contact the OPH Outbreak Reporting and Infection Prevention and Control Intake Line at 613-580-6744 ext. 26325.

The following data tables provide information on current institutional outbreaks and are available for download on Open Ottawa:

 

Supporting documents:

 

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