A summer wave of COVID is starting, public health says

Good morning!

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled newsletter. I hope you were able to get out there and enjoy the long weekend.

I know I did. First, our dog Lady Bird decided at the age of 10-and-a-half that swimming to fetch sticks is something she very much likes doing. Took years of coaxing, but she finally saw the light — swimming is fun.

And I finally made my way to the Tavern on the Falls. Not only did it make for a great bike ride to and from the place, but it’s just an enjoyable spot to have an elaborate hot dog and a nice drink on a summer day. Highly recommend.

With that, let’s get to today’s news.

— Robert Hiltz, managing editor

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Weather Report

Wednesday: 22 🌡️ 10 | 🌤

Thursday: 26 🌡️ 16 | 🌤

Friday: 26 🌡️ 11 | 🌤

A new COVID wave begins

Bad news: The city is officially entering a new wave of COVID, according to Ottawa Public Health. The health agency told CTV: “As we enter a new wave, it’s important to consider your risk, and the risk of those around you when gathering.”

• In the last week, there were six deaths in Ottawa, and a rise in both active cases and hospitalizations, Ottawa Public Health data shows. The wastewater viral signal is also going up, according to OPH data.

As Ottawa Citizen health reporter Elizabeth Payne pointed out, the test positivity rated double from June 20 to July 4, going from 8.7 percent to 16.1 percent.

Deadly Omicron: New COVID variant that swept the country in December was the deadliest for Ontario seniors during the pandemic. The wave caused twice as many deaths for seniors as the previous two waves combined, according to a Toronto Star investigation. Since mid-December, 3,771 people over the age of 60 died of COVID — about 1,400 more deaths than the Alpha and Delta waves combined.

• Dig deeper: COVID’s Omicron waves saw lower-income Ontarians die at higher rates, analysis shows [Toronto Star]

LRT Inquiry: The final week

Day 15: July 4

Who testified Monday:

• Steve Kanellakos the Ottawa city manager

• Monica Sechiari, independent certifier with Altus Group/IC

What happened: City Manager Steve Kanellakos contradicted the mayor’s testimony last week, saying decisions on what to tell council were his alone, not the group of senior officials in the secret WhatsApp chat revealed at the inquiry, CTV reported.

He also stood by the decision to withhold information from council when LRT testing was going badly, and never telling council the tests were made easier. His justification was that from the start he had promised he would only give council information at the end of the process.

• Dig deeper: Independent certifier had no input on changing scorecard for LRT trial [CBC]

Day 16: July 5

Who testified Monday:

• Larry Gaul of STV Inc.

• Transit director Troy Charter of the City of Ottawa

What happened: Larry Gaul testified that outsourcing maintenance to an outside entity, the Rideau Transit Group (RTG), risked a greater chance of breakdowns, according to Ottawa Citizen's reporting.

• International comparison: Gaul mentioned that other cities he worked at over 30 years — Dallas and D.C. — managed LRT maintenance themselves instead of outsourcing it, unlike Ottawa which used RTG.

What's on Whatsapp: Over 600 pages of WhatsApp messages were released between the major, Troy Charter and other city transit officials, shedding light on how they dealt with the crisis, according to Ottawa Citizen. Suffice to say, it offered a candid look at how city officials communicated about key breakdowns in the system. If you're curious to read the whole chat log, follow this link.

Last chance to choose our new publication

Today is the last day to share your feedback on what new publication we should launch.

Should we cover more new restaurants? How about more coverage of city hall? We need your help to decide. Take the survey before it closes at midnight tonight.

Convoy received advice from former Saskatchewan premier

Strategic advice: During and after the convoy, the former premier of Saskatchewan Brad Wall was texting organizer Chris Barber on how to best handle the protests, CTV reported.

The text messages are part of evidence obtained by Ottawa police. Barber is charged with intimidation, mischief, obstruction of a peace officer and other charges stemming from the convoy.

• Wall told CTV he knew Barber through relatives, but didn’t want to comment further.

In one of the messages, Wall said according to the broadcaster, “I think the convoy is creating some elbow room for provinces to begin to move away from mandates etc.” He also gave advice not to “take the bait” of counter-protesters, and said organizers should try and distance themselves from people espousing racist views and other “ulterior motives.”

Lich bail hearing: Convoy organizer Tamara Lich, who is facing several charges alongside Barber, had a bail hearing yesterday, CTV reported. Crown prosecutors want to revoke her bail because she appeared with a fellow organizer at an awards gala, in direct violation of her bail conditions. The judge will give his decision on whether to revoke her bail Friday afternoon.

Labour shortage as anti-inflation measures risk recession

In need of lifeguards: The city is having to cut back hours at certain pools because of a shortage of lifeguards. Some public swims are being cut outright, while others are having to reduce capacity, CBC reported. Swim classes are also being cancelled.

• The reason: Former lifeguard and current councillor, Mathieu Fleury, said pay is not as competitive as it used to be.

Hospitality sector shortages: Restaurants and hotels are feeling the labour pinch as well. One restaurant reports there are fewer people looking for jobs in restaurants or hotels, according to CTV.

• Nation-wide, the food industry has the highest levels of job vacancies, sitting at 12 percent. One local restaurant owner worries about staff burnout, and may have to reduce hours in the fall when summer workers go back to school.

Inflation fighting risks recession: A new study looking at inflation shows the economy may be headed for a rough period. While there may be plenty of vacancies now, previous attempts at fighting inflation by the Bank of Canada rapidly raising interest rates have led to recession and massive job loss, the Toronto Star reported.

• In three previous instances when the bank tried to lower inflation by 5.7 percent or more (levels similar to what it is attempting now) it resulted in painful recessions in the mid-70s, early 80s, and early 90s.

House of the week

Here’s one in a location you may not expect. Nestled off Holly Acres, just where the 416 and 417 meet, is this pretty nice house. It’s a 4,000+ square-foot house, on a 13,000 square-foot lot.

This one includes:

• Three fireplaces;

• Separate gym building;

• Three bedrooms;

• Three-and-a-half bathrooms;

• A gazebo;

• Huge kitchen with an overlooking indoor balcony;

• And a foyer with a wraparound staircase and skylight.

To see more, including the price, check out the listing.

Stories you might've missed

Perth Hospital closes ER: The newly re-elected provincial government has been of no help to the people of Perth, whose emergency room has been closed for nearly a week. The city and its hospital have reached out to both the municipal affairs minister and the health minister, neither of which have responded publicly, despite it being the hospital’s busy season. The closure was caused by an COVID outbreak among staff, but the hospital was already struggling with staffing before the virus swept through the ER. [Ottawa Citizen]

Woman hit by garbage truck dies: A pedestrian hit by a garbage truck Monday morning died yesterday. The 70-year-old had been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The truck was operated by Miller Waste Systems, under contract with the City of Ottawa. [CBC]

City warns of ODs: In the last week, five people have died of overdoses in the city. Paramedics have had to respond to at least 22 calls about suspected overdoes in the same time. If you suspect someone is having an overdose, immediately call 911, the city says. It is always an emergency. For more information on how to spot an overdose and what to do, see this Ottawa Public Health info page. [CTV]

Fuel prices rise again: Despite dropping global oil prices and a cut to the provincial gas tax, prices are set to rise again at the pump. The rise is part of a delay in a shift in wholesale prices, which didn’t take effect until this week because of the Canada Day holiday. Natural gas prices are also on the rise, according to CBC. [CityNews]

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Community highlights

• Things are starting to look up in Hintonburg, as Apt613 has the goods on new businesses opening in the neighbourhood.

• The Ottawa Senators are buying out the contract of former first-round pick Colin White. [CityNews]

• Starting today, e-scooters are returning to city streets, with upgrades the city hopes will make them less irritating to non-users. [CBC]

• Plan accordingly, the next two weekends the Alexandra Bridge will be closed Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 7 pm for repairs.

• Check out the beginning of our food editor’s Sandwich Safari, to see if he’s stopped by your favourite spot.

• If you’re looking to see a movie a bit off the beaten track, check out what’s on in the city’s independent cinemas. [Apt613]

Today's top photo

Today’s photo of some very, very casual gesse comes courtesy reader Alan Bacon, who snapped this shot while having a picnic along the shore of the Ottawa River.

Have a photo you’d like to Lookout readers to see? Send it our way, we love running photos from our community.

Latest COVID stats

Note: Ottawa Public Health is now only updating COVID stats twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. Because of the Lookout’s publishing schedule, this means the numbers here may be out of date. For the most recent stats, see the OPH COVID Dashboard.

• Active Cases: 676

• Total deaths: 825

• Ottawans In Hospital: 17

• Ottawans In ICU: 2

• Acute Beds Occupied: 92%

• ICU Beds Occupied: 58%

• ICU Ventilator Beds Occupied: 10%