Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Friday, September 4, 2020:
- There have been 42,686 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 132 (or 0.3 per cent) from the previous day. There are 38,625 people recovered from the virus while 2,812 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 3,040,190 of which 22,769 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 130,493. The country has 9,141 deaths from the virus – 210 in British Columbia, 242 in Alberta, 24 in Saskatchewan, 16 in Manitoba, 2,812 in Ontario, 5,767 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit remained steady at 196 confirmed positive cases. Of those, 16 are active and 168 are resolved (one less). There are no people in hospital and there are 12 deaths to date. Testing increased by 582 to 42,192. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 129 cases (11 active), SD&G 40 cases (three active) and Cornwall 27 cases (two active).
- The change in the number of deaths from 11 to 12 is due to a change in the definition of ailments related to a COVID-19 related death, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis explained Thursday. The death was at Pinecrest Nursing Home earlier this year where the other 11 deaths occurred.
- Roumeliotis says the revision in confirmed positive cases downward was due to the removal of duplicate cases as the health unit moved from the integrated Public Health Information System (iPHIS) to a new management system (CCM and CCM plus).
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit remained at 365 confirmed positive cases Thursday with 304 resolved and 52 deaths. There are nine active community cases.
- The provincial and federal governments have jointly agreed to a $147 million investment in child care and early learning. The money will be for licenced child care providers and EarlyON child and family centers.
- Ontario residents will be able to book class G road tests and have access to all services for all driving classes at DriveTest centers, starting Tuesday, Sept. 8.
- Ontario and Quebec will hold a joint economic recovery summit on Tuesday and Wednesday in Mississauga, Ont. Local MPP Jim McDonell says that our riding has “a lot of business, employment and social ties that are important for us to maintain.”
- The SD&G Library will allow “short stays” to go through books and resources and allow library-goers to use their own devices at six branches, starting Tuesday. They are Alexandria, Crysler, Ingleside, Lancaster, Morrisburg and Winchester. Service hours at the Lancaster and Crysler branches will also be expanded while curbside pickup service will end at those two locations.
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that casinos across the state and New York City shopping malls can reopen with limitations on Wednesday next week (Sept. 9). Casinos would be at 25 per cent capacity while NYC malls will be at 50 per cent.
- Across the border in St. Lawrence County (which includes Massena, Potsdam and Canton), the county health department reported four new cases of COVID-19 to bring the number of confirmed positives to 288. Twenty-one cases are active and 263 people have recovered. There have been four deaths to date.
- Hockey Canada has cancelled the 2020 World Junior A Challenge that was originally scheduled for Dec. 13-20 in Cornwall. It’s among three major fall events that the governing body pulled the plug on in an announcement Sept. 3. “We believe the decision to cancel these three events is the safest decision given the ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic at the local level, as well as the international implications associated with these events,” Hockey Canada CEO Tom Renney said.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledges the delay in people receiving their CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit). He told radio station VOCM in St. John’s that the delay was created by the program extension and they are working to correct it.
- The Manitoba chief provincial health officer says people need to remain vigilant as two women in a personal care home in Steinbach died from the virus. Two residents also died at the same facility last month.
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.