Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Monday October 12, 2020

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Monday, October 12, 2020:

  • There have been 59,139 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 649 (or 1.1 per cent) from the previous day. There are 50,437 people recovered from the virus while 3,005 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 4,394,461 of which 45,837 have pending results.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total is 181,862. The country has 9,613 deaths from the virus – 245 in British Columbia, 282 in Alberta, 25 in Saskatchewan, 32 in Manitoba, 3,005 in Ontario, 5,953 in Quebec, two in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia. (Source: Canada’s official provincial and territorial health websites as Public Health Agency of Canada is not updating its website)
  • The Eastern Ontario Health Unit region stands at 331 confirmed positive cases. Of those, 89 are active cases and 230 are resolved. Two people are in hospital (EOHU has a website error that says three hospitalized). There have been 12 deaths to date and two active institutional outbreaks (Embrun and Hawkesbury). Testing total is 67,422. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 225 cases (67 active), SD&G 70 cases (15 active) and Cornwall 36 cases (seven active). (The next update is the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 13)
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit region stands at 402 confirmed cases, of which seven are active and 343 recovered. The breakdown is: Leeds-Grenville East (three active), Leeds-Grenville Central (one active), Leeds-Grenville West (two active), Lanark County West (one active) and Lanark County East (zero active). There have been 52 deaths to date. (The next update is Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 4 p.m.)
  • Like her counterpart in Eastern Ontario, LGL Health Unit Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paula Stewart is signalling that her region is not going to be following the modified Stage 2 instituted in Ottawa. In a statement to Newswatch, Stewart says the latest restrictions “do not apply to the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit at this time” but she encouraged people to be COVID-SMART – an acronym to Self-isolate if you have symptoms, Mask in public spaces, Avoid touching your face, Remain two meters or six feet apart from people outside your household and Twenty seconds of regular hand hygiene.
  • St. Lawrence County (which includes Massena, Potsdam and Canton) has 336 positive cases to date, nine of which are active. Most of the active cases are in Potsdam and around Gouverneur. There are 323 people recovered from the virus and four people have died during the pandemic. Just over 68,000 people have been tested.
  • Canada’s chief public health officer says the best way to show gratitude this Thanksgiving is to stay away from anyone outside your immediate circle. Dr. Theresa Tam says this will be a hard reminder that sacrifices need to be made to protect those we love.
  • Quebec reported a slight dip in cases on Sunday with 942 new infections – after having more than 1,000 cases in six of the last seven days.

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.