Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Saturday August 29, 2020

(Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Saturday, August 29, 2020:

  • There have been 41,935 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 122 (or 0.3 per cent) from the previous day. There are 38,023 people recovered from the virus while 2,809 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 2,884,169 of which 30,512 have pending results.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total is 127,358. The country has 9,108 deaths from the virus – 204 in British Columbia, 237 in Alberta, 24 in Saskatchewan, 14 in Manitoba, 2,809 in Ontario, 5,750 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
  • One person recovered Friday as the Eastern Ontario Health Unit region remained at 194 confirmed positive cases. The number of resolved cases went by up one to 169 while the number of active cases dropped from 15 to 14. There are no people in hospital and there are 11 deaths to date. Testing numbers increased by 532 to 39,630. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 128 cases (nine active), SD&G 39 cases (three active) and Cornwall 27 cases (two active).
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit area added three more cases on Friday to bring the regional total to 366 confirmed cases. There are now nine active cases – all in the community. The number of deaths and recoveries remains the same at 52 and 304.
  • Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announced Friday that the government is extending international travel restrictions to Canada by another month, until Sept. 30. Canadian citizens and permanent residents returning to Canada will still have to quarantine for 14 days.
  • Residents of Ontario nursing homes are now allowed to leave for day and overnight trips as of Friday (Aug. 28). Temporary absences will be at the discretion of the home on a case-by-case basis including a full risk assessment and the ability to self-isolate the person for 14 days when they return to the long-term care home.
  • Premier Doug Ford says school boards need to pick up the pace on making improvements to air quality after the government earmarked $50 million to be spent on it by Thanksgiving.
  • Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, says people should expect new COVID-19 infections when students return to school. But schools must have a plan of action in place for an outbreak, which should reduce anxiety levels.

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.