WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
The Public Health Agency of Canada is actively monitoring the outbreak which originated in Hubei Province, China. To effectively respond locally, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) continues to be in enhanced operations to increase support and sharing of information to residents in addition to community and health systems partners.
As of noon Sunday March 15, Ottawa Public Health is asking all residents to avoid unnecessary contact with others. Please confirm you are required to go to work before heading in. They are asking for all public gatherings to be cancelled.
General advice:
Please remember best practices to reduce the spread of viruses in our day to day lives:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer. Make sure to wash for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose, and mouth unless you have just washed your hands with soap.
- Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue or into your arm, not your hand.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- It is still recommended to get your flu shot if you haven’t already as the flu virus is still circulating in the community.
If you receive questions from members of the public or from partners, point them to the Ottawa Public Health webpage on novel coronavirus: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/novel-coronavirus.aspx
For social media, you might find this quick link easier to share: bit.ly/OPH-FAQ