According to the latest data released by Ottawa Public Health, the rate of community spread of the COVID-19 virus has plateaued in the east end.
During the two-week period between Nov. 2 and Nov. 16, a total of 85 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the east end’s three municipal wards – Orléans Ward, Innes Ward and Cumberland Ward. That compares to 86 people who tested positive during the previous two period from Oct. 19 to Nov. 2.
Looking at the wards individually, there were 31 new cases in Orléans Ward be-tween Nov. 2 and Nov. 16 compared to 25 new cases during the previous two-week period; there were 13 new cases in Innes Ward, down from 29; and 41 new cases in Cumberland ward, up from 32.
Unfortunately, the numbers in the east end are not reflective of the city as a whole which saw a 37 per cent drop in new cases in the two-week period between Nov. 2 and Nov. 16 – going from 969 between Oct. 19 and Nov. 2 to 607 new cases.
The decrease in new cases city-wide is reflected in a lower positivity rate which has gone from a high of 4.1 per cent on Oct. 28 to 1.6 per cent on Nov. 15.
The number of student cases in the east end has gone up dramatically from 13 on Nov. 6 to 21 as of last Friday. However, more than half of the cases are confined to two schools in the French Catholic school board.
According to the province-wide list of schools reporting at least one positive case of COVID-19, 7 students at École élémentaire catholique De la Découverte in Avalon had tested positive for the coronavirus between Nov. 6 and Nov. 20, while six students and five staff members had tested positive at École élémentaire catholique Des Pionniers in Fallingbrook during the same two-week period.
Elsewhere, two students tested positive at École secondaire publique Louis-Riel and École secondaire catholique Béatrice-Desloges; two students tested positive at St Matthew High School; and one student each tested positive at Good Shepherd Elementary School in Blackburn Hamlet and St Theresa Elementary School in Avalon.
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TAPROOM 260 presents Crooked Creek live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
MATT LULOFF W/ EDISON RUPERT performing at the Stray Dog Brewing Company, 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park. To register your team visit 
OTTAWA CARLETON MALE CHOIR in concert at the Navan-Vars United Church 1129 Smith Rd. in Navan at 2:30 p.m. Tickets $20 at the door.
THE ORLÉANS BREWING CO. presents Oyster Wednesdays every Wednesday. The Orléans Brewing Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd. near McDonalds.
BLACKBURN HAMLET COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The entire community is invited…rain or shine! Please keep visiting blackburn.ca for more up-to-date information as it becomes available.
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