Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Tuesday August 18, 2020

Local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Tuesday, August 18, 2020:

  • There have been 40,745 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 99 (or 0.2 per cent) from the previous day. There are 37,036 people recovered from the virus while 2,789 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 2,608,219 of which 15,076 have pending results.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total is 122,872. The country has 9,032 deaths from the virus – 198 in British Columbia, 224 in Alberta, 22 in Saskatchewan, nine in Manitoba, 2,789 in Ontario, 5,721 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 64 in Nova Scotia.
  • The Eastern Ontario Health Unit region stayed steady Monday at 180 confirmed positive cases with 165 resolved. One person remains in hospital. Eleven deaths to date. Testing increased by 462 to 34,617. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 118 cases (105 resolved + 11 deaths), SD&G 37 cases (35 resolved) and Cornwall 25 cases (25 resolved).
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit area remains at 356 confirmed cases, 52 deaths and 304 recoveries.
  • British Columbia is bringing in stricter penalties later this week to stop people who flout the public health rules. The province had 236 new cases on Friday – the second-highest single day increase since the pandemic started.
  • A New Brunswick doctor, who travelled to Quebec to pick up his young daughter during the height of the outbreak, has been charged. Dr. Jean Robert Ngola is facing a provincial court charge of failing to comply with a direction or requirement under the Emergency Measures Act. He’s suspected of triggering an outbreak in northern New Brunswick.
  • The Canadian Football League (CFL) cancels its 2020 season due to the pandemic. It will be the first time the Grey Cup won’t be presented since 1919.

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.