
Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Saturday, September 5, 2020:
- There have been 42,834 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 148 (or 0.3 per cent) from the previous day. There are 38,741 people recovered from the virus while 2,811 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 3,068,781 of which 25,945 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 131,124. The country has 9,141 deaths from the virus – 211 in British Columbia, 242 in Alberta, 24 in Saskatchewan, 16 in Manitoba, 2,811 in Ontario, 5,767 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit hit a milestone Friday reaching 200 confirmed positive cases. That’s due to four new cases added Friday – two in Prescott-Russell, one in SD&G (North Glengarry) and one in the City of Cornwall. Of those, 20 are active and 168 are resolved. There are no people in hospital and there are 12 deaths to date. Testing increased by 558 to 42,750. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 131 cases (13 active), SD&G 41 cases (four active) and Cornwall 28 cases (three active).
- Five people were declared recovered from the virus in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit region Friday to bring the total resolved to 309. There are still five active cases. The number of confirmed cases remains at 365 and deaths at 52.
- Newfoundland and Labrador has joined Ontario as the second province taking up use of the COVID Alert app. The phone app, which conducts contract tracing by Bluetooth, has has been download a little over 2.2 million times – mostly in Ontario.
- The province announced $2 million to a Muskoka company through the Ontario Together Fund to produce lighter, breathable and more comfortable face masks. The government says the investment will create 50 jobs when production ramps up and the plant will produce 200,000 masks monthly.
- The City of Kingston has instituted an order on social distancing within city parks, effective immediately. The order says people older than 16, not from the same household, must keep two meters (six feet) apart. The city’s mayor says there’s been problems with people not practicing social distancing. The fine for breaking the law is $500.
- With coronavirus spreading in St. Lawrence County, the Massena Central School District has moved to remote learning for all students starting Thursday and continuing until October 13, according to the Watertown Daily Times. Classes were supposed to begin on Tuesday. Massena is now the most infected portion of the county with 50 of the county’s 292 confirmed cases and almost half of the county’s 23 active cases, according to figures from St. Lawrence County Public Health. The number of cases has jumped by 23 in one week.
- Akwesasne’s Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe is reporting one active case of coronavirus. The person remains in isolation. There have been 12 cases to date, according to Franklin County Public Health, and 15 in total across all parts of the First Nation.
- With the last unofficial long weekend of summer upon us, a word of caution from Canada’s chief public health officer. Dr. Theresa Tam says Canadians need to think about any gatherings they have with family and friends over Labour Day and consider their risk factors before joining in get togethers. During the last week, Canada was averaging 525 COVID-19 cases per day.
- Transport Canada has levelled its first fines against people refusing to wear masks on airplanes. Two unnamed people were slapped with $1,000 fines for not following rules to wear a face covering.
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.