Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Wednesday January 20, 2021

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Wednesday, January 20, 2021:

  • There have been 242,277 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 1,913 (or 0.8 per cent) from the previous day. A technical issue meant Toronto Public Health didn’t report all its case count. There are 209,183 people recovered from the virus while 5,479 people have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 9,000,278 of which 36,750 have pending results.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total is 719,751. The country has 18,266 deaths from the virus – one in the Yukon, one in Nunavut, 1,090 in British Columbia, 1,463 in Alberta, 225 in Saskatchewan, 783 in Manitoba, 5,479 in Ontario, 9,142 in Quebec, 13 in New Brunswick, four in Newfoundland & Labrador and 65 in Nova Scotia.
  • The Eastern Ontario Health Unit added 27 cases on Tuesday to bring the regional total to 2,228 confirmed cases. There were nine in Prescott-Russell, four in SD&G, five in Cornwall and nine in Akwesasne. Of all cases, 578 are active (60 fewer than Monday) and 1,604 are resolved (85 more than Monday). There were two more deaths, bringing the total to 46. The number of people in hospital dropped by four to 27. Patients in ICU stands at six. There are 16 active institutional outbreaks. Testing increased by 635 to 98,771. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 1,064 cases (162 active), SD&G 468 cases (146 active), Cornwall 572 cases (236 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 124 cases (34 active).
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added four newly confirmed cases on Monday to bring the regional total to 776. There are 23 active (one more than Monday) and 699 recovered (three more than Monday). The number of deaths to date is 54. There is one person in hospital in the ICU. There is one active institutional outbreak (Kemptville Retirement Living). The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 132 cases (11 active), Lanark County West 134 cases (three active), Leeds-Grenville Central 82 cases (four active), Leeds-Grenville East 115 cases (three active) and Leeds-Grenville West 113 cases (two active).
  • The Ontario government is asking the incoming Biden administration in the U.S. to help secure a million Pfizer vaccine doses from the plant in Michigan, considering the delay in shots coming overseas.
  • The federal government says it was aware there would be supply chain issues with the COVID-19 vaccine given the global demand and the limited number of suppliers. But Federal Procurement Minister Anita Anand says it’s disappointing Pfizer is delaying shipments to ramp up a production plant in Belgium, considering the company has contractual obligations. Canada will not get any Pfizer shipments next week.
  • The number of deaths in the United States has surpassed 400,000. It comes almost a year to the date since the first case was diagnosed.

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.