COVID-19: Share your thoughts

Require Bars to Keep Their Music Volume Low

With loud music, people lean in & shout into each other's faces, and sing along. All these are risky behaviours that are probably enhanced after a couple of drinks.

Encourage people to not eat meals with others outside their bubble

Hearing about the reported BBQ that caused an outbreak. Chances are that the infections were caused by sharing food and/or eating in close proximity. All other suggestions are good (distancing, hygiene) Masks definitely work, BUT are not a 100%. They should be promoted like sunscreen, you definitely need to put some on, but you still might be burnt, maybe not as bad. I feel too many people think a mask provides 100% immunity, we need to be clear on the effectiveness.

Short unannounced checks

Have unscheduled checks of business, staffed venues and places of worship to make sure protocols to prevention the spread of the virus are being consistently followed.

Increase public awareness of what a physically-distanced social gathering can look like

Provide examples of COVID-safe activities and event set-up for weddings, small family gatherings, gatherings of friends, etc. Illustrate what a safe event set-up looks like (table arrangement, who sits with who, how to keep distance between family groups) and offer ideas of activities/games that are relatively safe.

Encourage individuals, businesses, educational organizations to move their activities outdoors

Provide space for gyms to provide outdoor fitness/yoga classes, for sports organizers to hold outdoor sports games for the public (sticking to relatively safer/contact-free sports like singles badminton, track and field, etc.) Encourage schools, colleges and universities to hold classes outdoors as much as possible. Expand bike lane network to encourage cycling instead of public transit. Increase public awareness of the parks and outdoor facilities available for use around the city.

Getting takeout occasionally, shopping locally for everything that I can

Signage along Moodie Drive directing people how to get to the test centre Currently they are visiting business' possibly infecting them

Covid 19 Test Centre 595 Moodie Drive Signage on Moodie Drive

Mobile/accessible covid testing Lincolnfields/Britannia

Please do this in Lincolnfields area! Parking lot behind Metro at Lincolnfields Shopping Centre or Park behind Regina Alternative School. It’s Centrally located to Woodpark, Lincolnheights and Britannia. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ottawa-acorn-mobile-clinic-brings-covid-tests-to-disabled-disadvantaged?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1594502118

If mandated, allow for either masks OR visors.

List of local businesses and the service they offer

Encourage buying local and have a list of local businesses on City of Ottawa website or a partner

Virus traces in wastewater

Research (notably in the Netherlands:https://www.kwrwater.nl/actueel/de-nieuwste-rioolwatermonsters/) has shown that there is a correlation between the concentration of trace coronavirus in wastewater, and the number of registered cases and hospitalizations, and that these measurements can provide up to a week's notice about how the number of cases/hospitalizations will evolve. If it isn't already the case, the City of Ottawa should consider performing such measurements at the ROPEC, and publishing this data to raise awareness and ensure measurements are taken (and accepted) to prevent an undesired uptick in the number of cases.

Mobile/Accessible covid testing in Lincolnfields area!

Please do this in Lincolnfields area! Parking lot behind Metro at Lincolnfields Shopping Centre or Park behind Regina Alternative School. It’s Centrally located to Woodpark, Lincolnheights and Britannia.

Journal of who I met (in case I need to provide contact info for tracing)

I keep an excel spreadsheet of who i met for more than 5 minutes, where i went at when, with addresses and tele #. Others keep an envelope of receipts to track actions or write on calendars. Be ready to make contact tracer's job easier.

Drive-thru testing and Waitlist App

A Waitlist App may be useful for managing long lineups and wait-times. Perhaps people can add their names to the waitlist virtually, by phone or in person, and then be notified shortly before their turn. It would avoid on-site crowds and long waits in hot weather. Drive-thru testing may feel safer to many people that are otherwise dissuaded by long waits in crowded lineups or hot weather. It of course needs to be offered alongside testing accessible to those without cars.

Mobile testing units

Vehicles such as ambulance or bus that visit different neighbourhoods so folks can get tested without having to travel. Well-publicized details. Safely reaching testing centres for those without personal vehicles nearly impossible unless in walking distance (following advice against public transit, taxis, ride-hailing, contact with friends/family while sick).

Reduce the time kids would spend in school to only 3 hours. So, they don't need to eat at school and would need to use the washroom less.

Each class has different time to enter and leave the school. For example, grade 1 go to school from 8am to 11 am. Grade 2 go to school from 8:30 - 11:30 am. It might be challenging for siblings in different class rooms but can allot space in the library for those kids.

Mandate non-medical masks to relieve peer pressure

There is a ton of cultural peer pressure not to wear masks. Friends see you shopping and tell you not necessary. The mini confrontations are stressful especialy when masks have been proven to stop asymptomatic spread. If everyone wore one...much less community spread! Makes it tough to comply if people make fun of you!!

Prioritize cycling projects

Quick, use this time of reduced car traffic to put in place as much as possible of the cycling infrastructure that is already on the books for the next few years. The more of us cycle to work when commuting starts up again, the healthier this city will be.

Add signage that changes more often so people keep taking it seriously. E.G. coloured placards that change based on number of local cases

I live near Dows lake and when I go jogging I rarely see face masks although the park is packed. There also often seem to be groups who don't seem to live together (e.g. two people pulling cars up next to each other to share a cigarette or larger groups staying 6 ft apart half of the time while going for a walk). I will not be surprised if more incidences of community spread pop up following the May 24 long weekend.

Make it mandatory for service workers to wear face mask and gloves: salons/barbers, esthetician’s, nail techs, restaurant

Outdoor time, cooking

we go for walks and bike rides every day and we have been doing a lot of cooking and baking

Formal Fridays

Sometimes my husband and I will dress up a little on Friday evenings and order take out or delivery from a local restaurant and play board games - gives us something to look forward to each week :)