City of Ottawa to open COVID-19 isolation centre in Lowertown
Posted Mar 20, 2020 08:56:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is getting set to tour the Routhier Community Centre on Guigues Avenue in Lowertown, days before it opens as a COVID-19 isolation centre for vulnerable residents.
The facility started to be converted into an isolation centre Friday, and is expected to be ready for Monday.
It will house people in the shelter system who are required to self-isolate due to COVID-19. The city believes this will help mitigate the spread of the virus within the homeless community.
The city says it will consult with Ottawa Public Health to implement best practices for cleaning and maintaining the centre, both for its use as an isolation centre and before it's returned to community use.
The city is still exploring options for families who may need to self-isolate due to coronavirus exposure, symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19.
Mayor Watson is set to hold a news conference after touring the Lowertown facility at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 21.
