Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Thursday, August 20, 2020:
- There have been 40,972 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 102 (or 0.2 per cent) from the previous day. There are 37,215 people recovered from the virus while 2,792 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 2,656,928 of which 15,490 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 123,490. The country has 9,049 deaths from the virus – 198 in British Columbia, 227 in Alberta, 22 in Saskatchewan, 12 in Manitoba, 2,792 in Ontario, 5,729 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 64 in Nova Scotia.
- The last hospitalized patient from the Eastern Ontario Health Unit region has been released from an Ottawa hospital. The person was from Prescott-Russell. That brought the resolved cases up to 166. The confirmed case count was unchanged Wednesday at 180 cases. There are 11 deaths to date and one active institutional outbreak (declared due to a worker from Quebec who doesn’t show up in the local case count). Testing increased by 544 to 35,827. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 118 cases (106 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 unchanged at 356 confirmed cases, 52 deaths and 304 recoveries.
- A report suggests the pandemic had meant millions of women and girls have lost access to contraceptives and abortion services. Marie Stopes International says roughly two million fewer women and girls in 37 countries had access to services in the first six months of this year compared to the same time last year.
- Leeds-Grenville MP Michael Barrett, along with MP Pierre Poilievre, accuse the Trudeau government of a cover-up in the WE Charity scandal to have the charity administer the $921 million student volunteer grant program.
- Health experts say Canadians should be prepared for a tough winter with COVID-19 adding to the cold and flu season. The president of the Canadian Medical Association says it’s all the more reason to get a flu shot.
- After Toronto Public Health warned 550 people who visited a strip club were possibly exposed to an employee who tested positive for COVID-19, a patron of the Brass Rail is now infected. TPH says the person is from outside Toronto.
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.