Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Sunday August 2, 2020

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit office at 1000 Pitt Street in Cornwall, Ont. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Sunday, August 2, 2020:

  • There have been 39,333 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 124 (or 0.3 per cent) from the previous day. There are 35,237 people recovered from the virus while 2,777 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 2,205,254 of which 26,984 have pending results.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total is 116,599. The country has 8,941 deaths from the virus – 195 in British Columbia, 196 in Alberta, 18 in Saskatchewan, eight in Manitoba, 2,777 in Ontario, 5,678 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 64 in Nova Scotia.
  • The Eastern Ontario Health Unit region stands at 179 confirmed cases with 157 cases resolved. Two people remain in hospital. There have been 11 deaths to date. Testing is at 29,285. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 118 cases (101 resolved + 11 deaths), SD&G 36 cases (32 resolved) and Cornwall 25 cases (24 resolved). (The health unit doesn’t update stats on weekends and stat holidays)
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit region stands at 355 confirmed cases, 52 deaths and 303 recoveries. (The health unit doesn’t update stats on weekends and stat holidays)
  • Florida has seen COVID-19 cases surge in the last month and now has roughly 480,000 cases. It’s also going to have potentially more problems on its hands as a tropical storm – Isaias – comes towards the coast after hitting the Bahamas. Officials have had to close testing sites ahead of the storm’s landfall, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane.
  • Meantime, American officials are hoping for better days in August after an explosive resurgence in cases across the U.S. in July with more than 150,000 dead – the highest total in the world.
  • South Africa has more than half a million confirmed coronavirus cases now, making up for more than half of all infections in Africa and its 54 countries. South Africa’s death count is 8,153.
  • Canadian federal parties are not keen to force an election over the Liberal minority government for another COVID-19 related reason – political donations. Figures show there was a significant drop in money to most parties in the second quarter of this year.
  • Protesters in Germany held a demonstration called “The end of the pandemic – freedom day.” Germany has recently seen an increase in infections even as the government was lauded by others for its management early on of the pandemic.

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.