Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Sunday, January 17, 2021:
- There have been 234,364 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 3,056 (or 1.3 per cent) from the previous day. There are 200,406 people recovered from the virus while 5,340 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 8,865,263 of which 50,387 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 702,183. The country has 17,865 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 1,047 in British Columbia, 1,417 in Alberta, 212 in Saskatchewan, 761 in Manitoba, 5,340 in Ontario, 9,005 in Quebec, 12 in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
- Canada surpassed 700,000 cases on Saturday with another 6,479 newly confirmed cases. It’s less than two weeks since it reached 600,000 (Jan. 3). More than a half million people across the country have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit stands at 2,103 confirmed cases. Of those, 599 are active and 1,461 are resolved. The number of deaths to date is 42. The number of people in hospital is 26, including five in ICU. There are 12 active institutional outbreaks. Testing is at 97,519. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 1,035 cases (195 active), SD&G 430 cases (133 active), Cornwall 523 cases (246 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 115 cases (25 active). (The health unit doesn’t update statistics on weekends)
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit stands at 763 confirmed cases in the region. There are 26 active and 683 recovered. The number of deaths to date is 54. There is no one in hospital and there are no institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 123 cases (six active), Lanark County West 132 cases (six active), Leeds-Grenville Central 80 cases (three active), Leeds-Grenville East 114 cases (six active) and Leeds-Grenville West 113 cases (four active). (The health unit doesn’t update statistics on weekends)
- The City of Cornwall has released a list of skater limits for its outdoor rinks as of Friday, based on guidance from the health unit. For the 10 locations, they range from a maximum of four skaters at one time at Terry Fox Park to 25 skaters at Grant Park.
- The province extended most of its emergency orders under the Reopening Ontario Act until at least Feb. 19. One order was amended to allow government infrastructure projects to continue as essential construction.
- A group of B.C. tourism organizations is urging Premier John Horgan not to put an outright travel ban in place, which would decimate an already-crippled tourism sector. The coalition says the government needs to work with the industry to educate travellers on health and safety protocols.
- U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is promising to administer 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Americans in the first 100 days. He officially takes office Wednesday. Biden plans to use the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard to build vaccination clinics across the country.
- Coronavirus restrictions meant people in Nunavut couldn’t hold celebrations, including dancing and games, to mark the return of the sun. The first glimpse of sunlight happened Saturday in Cambridge Bay after six weeks of darkness.
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.