Vera Etches

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Etches headed Ottawa's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic and modelled her response after Sheela Basrur, who was Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health during the 2003 SARS outbreak. [3] During this time, she earned a reputation for her direct style of communication. In a press briefing on March 15, 2020, was among the first public officials in Canada to warn that COVID-19 had spread to Canada and that community transmission was occurring. [3] [8] She also maintained an active presence on Twitter, something that had become standard practice following the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. [1] [9]

Over the course of the pandemic, Etches issued several Class Section 22 orders under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. [10] On September 22, 2020, for example, she issued an order requiring Ottawa residents to self-isolate for 14 days or until they received a negative test result from a COVID-19 test if they had COVID-19 symptoms or had been exposed to the virus. [11] In 2021, she ordered capacity limits for outdoor skating rinks, winter trails, and tobogganing hills, [12] as well as masking requirements for playgrounds. [13]

CHEO

On December 6, 2024, the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) announced that Etches would take over as its president and chief executive officer effective March 3, 2025, following the departure of Alex Munter. [14]

Academic career

Etches is an adjunct professor with the School of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Ottawa. [4]

Personal life

Etches is married and has two children. [9]

Awards and recognition

In June 2021, Etches was awarded an honorary doctorate from Algonquin College. [6] In June 2022, Etches was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Ottawa. [15] Later that month, the City of Ottawa awarded her the Key to the City for her efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. [16] [17]

Publications

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Chianello, Joanne (April 6, 2020). "'A will of steel': Vera Etches is the face of Ottawa's fight against COVID-19". CBC News . Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Willing, Jon (April 25, 2018). "Vera Etches becomes Ottawa's first female medical officer of health". Ottawa Citizen . Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Payne, Elizabeth (April 9, 2020). "'Out in front': How Dr Vera Etches is leading the pandemic response with a gentle but firm hand". Ottawa Citizen . Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Sinclair, Jessica (March 20, 2020). "Medical Officer Vera Etches guides Ottawa through the unknown" (Press release). Ottawa, Ontario: University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine . Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Dr. Vera Etches, Medical Officer of Health". Ottawa Public Health. City of Ottawa. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Lord, Craig (May 17, 2021). "Algonquin College to grant honorary degree to Ottawa's top doc". Global News . Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  7. ↑ Chianello, Joanne (April 26, 2018). "Dr. Vera Etches is Ottawa's first female officer of health". CBC News . Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  8. ↑ Blewett, Taylor (December 24, 2020). "Newsmakers 2020: The face of Ottawa's fight against COVID-19 — Dr. Vera Etches". Ottawa Citizen . Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Sherring, Susan (July 5, 2021). "SHERRING: Dr. Vera Etches, Ottawa's reluctant public figure and rock star". Ottawa Sun . Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  10. ↑ Tovell, Jonathan (July 13, 2022). "Two community groups push Ottawa Public Health for mandatory masking and more". Capital Current. Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  11. ↑ "OPH invokes self-isolation order as cases climb". CBC News . Ottawa, Ontario. September 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  12. ↑ Lord, Craig (January 5, 2021). "Coronavirus: Ottawa skating rinks, sledding hills getting 25-person caps, Dr. Etches says". Global News . Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  13. ↑ Lord, Craig (April 20, 2021). "COVID-19: Masks will be mandatory at Ottawa playgrounds, some young kids exempt". Global News . Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Dr. Vera Etches to become CHEO's new president and CEO". CBC News . Ottawa, Ontario. December 6, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  15. ↑ Read, Michelle (September 27, 2022). "Reflections from Ottawa's pandemic leader" (Press release). Ottawa, Ontario: University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine . Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Dr. Vera Etches and OPH Team receive Key to the City". Bay Ward Bulletin. Ottawa, Ontario. June 9, 2022. Archived from the original on September 24, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  17. ↑ Dubé, Dani-Elle (June 10, 2022). "Actor Ryan Reynolds among voices congratulating Ottawa's Dr. Vera Etches as recipient of key to the city". CityNews . Ottawa, Ontario. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
Vera Etches
Ottawa Medical Officer of Health
In office
April 2018 –March 2025
Chief Health Officers of Canada
Federal
Provincial
Territorial
Municipal
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