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Coun. Rick Chiarelli remains at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute more than a month after his open-heart surgery but his wife reports that he’s making progress fighting an infection.

The College Ward councillor is on intravenous antibiotics and has a tube attached to his chest “vacuuming” out infection, Lida Chiarelli said via the councillor’s Twitter account, adding that she and the couple’s three daughters are well.

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Chiarelli was admitted to on Dec. 12 and underwent open-heart surgery on Dec. 13.

He was released for several days but readmitted when doctors identified a “serious bacterial infection.”

On Oct. 23, city council unanimously rejected Chiarelli’s request for a leave of absence as he faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour involving former female staff and prospective hires. At the time, Chiarelli said he couldn’t comment on the allegations of inappropriate behaviour because of an integrity investigation and a court process he planned to initiate.

Chiarelli appeared at a council budget meeting on Dec. 11, but faced a silent protest from some colleagues and demonstrators in the gallery and left before the final budget vote.

“I have to go now. I’m just not very good. I’m not supposed to be here, but that’s about the best I could do,” Chiarelli said outside city hall. Asked about his ailment, Chiarelli pointed to a doctor’s letter sent to the city in October and made public, but didn’t explain further.

The letter said Chiarelli had fainted on Oct. 12, lost consciousness and was taken by ambulance to an emergency room.

With files from Joanne Laucius