Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Saturday September 19, 2020

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

• There have been 46,077 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 401 (or 0.9 per cent) from the previous day. There are 40,600 people recovered from the virus while 2,825 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 3,469,523 of which 40,443 have pending results.

• Canada’s coronavirus case total is 141,911. The country has 9,205 deaths from the virus – 223 in British Columbia, 255 in Alberta, 24 in Saskatchewan, 16 in Manitoba, 2,825 in Ontario, 5,792 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, three in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.

• The Eastern Ontario Health Unit region stayed at 223 confirmed positive cases Friday. Of those, 28 are active and 183 are resolved. There is one person in hospital. There have been 12 deaths to date. Testing increased by 974 to 50,303. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 143 cases (14 active), SD&G 51 cases (12 active) and Cornwall 29 cases (two active).

• The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit region remained at 369 confirmed cases on Friday. Of those, three are active and 314 have recovered. Fifty-two people have died during the coronavirus crisis. The three active cases are two in Lanark County and one in the western portion of Leeds-Grenville.

• COVID-19 testing and a future assessment center in Kemptville, increased hours and staff at Brockville’s assessment center, and more mobile testing by paramedics at pop-up locations are part of a three-point plan announced Friday by Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark to give greater access to testing.

• Federal Public Safety Minister Bill Blair confirmed in a Twitter post Friday morning that the Canada-U.S. border will be closed to non-essential travel until at least Oct. 21. The restriction was set to expire Monday. The border has been closed to non-essential traffic since March.

• Ottawa Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches says the city is now in the second wave of COVID-19. The capital recorded another 61 cases on Friday. Meanwhile, Canada’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam says it’s too soon to declare whether the country is in a second wave.

• The premiers of Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and Alberta held a news conference Friday to plead for the federal government to increase transfer payments for health care. The ask comes ahead of the Liberal government’s throne speech.

• Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet has tested positive for COVID-19, according to the party. He had self-isolated earlier this week after a staff member tested positive for the virus. Blanchet says he feels healthy.

• Measures to control the spread of COVID-19 seem to be having another effect. There has been a dramatic decline in rates of the flu and sexually transmitted infections since March. Canadian flu rates are at their lowest levels in nine years.

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.