A picture going around shows Ottawa Mayor Dan Aussem and City Engineer Tom Duttlinger in an Ottawa pub without masks on. Aussem says they went for lunch on July 31. Aussem says he went in and out with a mask on, as the safety guidelines call for. Someone snapped a picture and put it on social media.
He says that picture was taken the day before he went to a wedding with several family members, some of whom have since tested positive for coronavirus. Aussem says he himself has no symptoms and was told by a health official that he shouldn’t be tested. He is isolating himself from others and attending meetings via online connections.
His announcement about the possible coronavirus exposure came the same day he issued an emergency order closing businesses that sell liquor at 10pm. He says he contacted downtown bars and got feedback about it before signing the order. Aussem spoke about it on WCMY’s Morning Meeting Monday.