Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Friday, May 1, 2020:
- There have been 16,187 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 459 cases (or 2.9 per cent) from the previous day. There are 10,205 people recovered from the virus while 1,082 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 277,522 of which 11,859 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 52,236. The country has 3,184 deaths from the virus – 111 in British Columbia, 89 in Alberta, six in Saskatchewan, six in Manitoba, 1,082 in Ontario, 1,859 in Quebec, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 28 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit total number of confirmed cases is still 91 (includes 11 long term, retirement and lodging home cases). The breakdown is still 14 in Cornwall (nine resolved), 17 in SD&G (14 resolved) and 60 in Prescott-Russell (27 resolved). There are three people in hospitals and two of those are in ICU (those local cases have been transferred to ICU in Ottawa). There have been no deaths. The number of resolved cases rose by one on Thursday to 50. There have been 2,042 tests performed in the EOHU region (no change from Thursday).
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties added another six cases for a total of 310 positive cases. The number of deaths remain at 40. In Leeds-Grenville, community cases were unchanged Thursday – 21 in the central region (14 recovered), 12 in the west (eight recovered) and six in the east (four recovered). Those community numbers don’t include long term care home cases.
- While the province issued guidelines Thursday for the gradual reopening of businesses, Eastern Ontario Health Unit Dr. Paul Roumeliotis took it a step further the day before (Wednesday), issuing three legal orders on essential retail, curbside pickups and drive-through service. They lay out rules for crowd control, hygiene and disinfection procedures, screening and training employees and other measures. Not abiding by the orders carries individual fines up to $5,000 and up to $25,000 for businesses.
- Cornwall-SDG Paramedic Services has launched a coronavirus response teams. The three teams of seven paramedics (21 total paramedics) are doing widespread testing in long term care homes.
- Following Wednesday’s council meeting, Mayor Bernadette Clement told YourTV that financially-speaking “the news is okay for now” for city finances. “For now, we’ve managed very well…things are stable (but) there is worry for the future,” she said. City council meetings should return to a regular schedule on May 11, when the city council will get more financial information. The mayor says the city has slowed down on recruitment and hiring that will lead to potential savings this year. The city is facing a half million dollar projected deficit in the nine departments most affected by the pandemic.
- The federal deficit is expected to reach $252 billion this year due to the pandemic. That’s mostly due to $146 billion in aid packages announced. More than seven million people have taking up the government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit.
- Nunavut has its first case of coronavirus. The person in Pond Inlet is in isolation and doing well. Nunavut was the only jurisdiction in Canada without a positive case – until Thursday.
- British Columbia will outline its reopening plan for the economy next week.
- The South Stormont Sports Hall of Fame has postponed its August 2020 induction ceremony until an “undetermined” date in 2021. The nomination period has been extended until May 1, 2021. This year’s nominations will be moved forward to be part of the class of 2021.
- With the restriction on large gatherings, the Cornwall 2020 International Women’s Day Show will be going online. It’s being billed as the first ever trade show of its kind in the area. The show is May 31.
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