Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Friday, November 27, 2020:
- There have been 109,361 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 1,478 (or 1.4 per cent) from the previous day. There are 92,915 people recovered from the virus while 3,575 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 6,068,428 of which 52,852 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 353,097. The country has 11,799 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, 384 in British Columbia, 510 in Alberta, 40 in Saskatchewan, 266 in Manitoba, 3,575 in Ontario, 6,947 in Quebec, seven in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit area added eight cases on Thursday – six in Prescott-Russell and one each in Cornwall and SD&G – to bring the regional total to 826 confirmed cases. The number of active cases dropped 16 to 84, while resolved cases increased by 23 to 711. There has been an additional death bringing the total to 31 deaths. Four people are in hospital. There are four active outbreaks (includes nursing homes, schools and daycare). Testing increased by 342 to 82,421. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 541 cases (50 active), SD&G 127 cases (14 active), Cornwall 127 cases (18 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 31 cases (two active).
- No new cases Thursday in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit area as the total stayed at 481 confirmed cases. There are four active cases, four fewer than Wednesday, and 424 are recovered. There are two people in hospital, both in ICU and one on a ventilator. The community case breakdown is: Leeds-Grenville East (zero active), Leeds-Grenville Central (zero active), Leeds-Grenville West (one active), Lanark County West (zero active) and Lanark County East (three active). The total number of deaths is 53. There are no active institutional outbreaks.
- The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne will start opening services and buildings on Monday. After a Christmas break, the municipal office will open to staff only on Jan. 4, 2021 and then to the public on Jan. 11, 2021.
- New Ontario modelling out shows, under the worst case scenario, the province could see 9,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day by the end of the year. If we stay constant, it will be around 1,500 a day. ICU bed usage is forecast to hit 200 under every scenario, leading to the possible cancellation of surgeries. The rate of hospitalizations have gone up 63 per cent in the last four weeks.
- The province has cancelled in-vehicle road tests in the lockdown areas of Toronto and Peel Region. The province has also instructed other DriveTest centers outside the lockdown areas to not allow booking of road tests from people from those regions.
- The Ontario government is moving to cap the amount food delivery companies, like UberEats and Door Dash, charge restaurants in lockdown areas where indoor dining is not allowed. If passed, the cap in lockdown areas would be 15 per cent with total fees not exceeding 20 per cent.
- Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu accuses the Conservatives of spreading conspiracy theories and driving a wedge among Canadians over future COVID-19 vaccinations. The Liberal government has been facing scrutiny over the delivery of vaccines as other countries are expected to get it first as its rolled out.
- New Brunswick is the latest province to opt out of the Atlantic bubble. Anyone who is coming into the province has to self-isolate for two weeks.
- AstraZeneca has run into problems with its vaccine, saying that there might have been a mistake with dosing for some people. But the company says people who got two doses did show protection from the virus.
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.