Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Monday, April 20, 2020:
- There have been 10,578 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 568 cases (or 5.7 per cent) from the previous day. There are 5,209 people recovered from the virus while 553 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 156,097 of which 5,736 have pending results.
- Canada’s COVID-19 case total is 34,786. The country has 1,580 COVID-19 related deaths – 78 in British Columbia, 51 in Alberta, four in Saskatchewan, five in Manitoba, 553 in Ontario, 877 in Quebec, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and nine in Nova Scotia.
- The Cornwall, SD&G and Prescott-Russell region added another positive COVID-19 case on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases to 68. The latest case was in Prescott-Russell. The totals are now 10 in Cornwall, 16 in SD&G and 42 in Prescott-Russell. There are still five people in hospital, three of them are in ICU. There are 28 cases marked resolved.
- Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis says a Food Basics worker was not told to isolate after being tested at the Cornwall Community Hospital. The employee had a throat swab, according to family, but was never told they were tested for COVID-19. Read the latest coverage on this case here, here and here.
- Talk is coming down to the final hours as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is trying to figure out a way to have government meet but still respect social distancing – not having 338 MPs all in the same room. Parliament was originally supposed to start sitting today (April 20).
- The head of the Ontario Medical Association says the Ontario government’s plan to advance pay to clinics will not keep them open through the pandemic. Dr. Sohail Gandhi says the clinics need grants, not loans. The advance payments – about 70 per cent of a clinic’s annual income – would have to be repaid later this year.
Have a story or news release related to COVID-19? Send it along for possible inclusion in a future digest on Cornwall Newswatch. Email editor@cornwallnewswatch.com. Please put “COVID-19 Digest” in the subject line.