The COVID-19 pandemic in Ottawa is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ottawa is the 6th most populous city in Canada. On March 11th 2020, the first identified case of COVID-19 in Ottawa was a man in his 40s, stated Ottawa's medical officer of health, Dr. Vera Etches. It was found to be a travel-related case, showing that there was no evidence of community spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Ottawa. On March 25th, 2020, Mayor Jim Watson declared a local state of emergency, 8 days after Premier Doug Ford declared a provincial state of emergency. Initial restrictions preventing essential businesses from operating (such as the closure of indoor dining and personal care services) continued through until June 12, 2020, when the government of Ontario allowed Ottawa to enter Stage 2 of reopening. Ottawa Public Health announced that masks are mandatory in all public indoor settings on July 15th, 2020. On July 17th, 2020, Ottawa was allowed into Stage 3 of reopening.