Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Thursday, April 29, 2021:
- There have been 455,606 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 3,480 cases from the previous day. Public Health Ontario says case counts may have been higher due to data catch-up in the Niagara region. There have been 408,765 people recovered from the virus while 7,988 have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 13,995,825 of which 34,746 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 1,202,737. The country has 24,117 deaths from the virus – two in the Yukon, four in Nunavut, 1,576 in British Columbia, 2,073 in Alberta, 486 in Saskatchewan, 971 in Manitoba, 7,988 in Ontario, 10,908 in Quebec, 36 in New Brunswick, six in Newfoundland & Labrador and 67 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit area added 12 cases Wednesday to bring the regional total to 4,349 confirmed cases. There were nine in Prescott-Russell and three in Cornwall. Of all cases, 301 are active (two more than Tuesday) and 3,947 are resolved (10 more than Tuesday). The number of deaths remains at 101. Six more people were admitted to hospital, bringing the total to 34. Six are still in the ICU (no change). There are eight active institutional outbreaks (no change). Testing increased by 285 to 134,255. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 1,812 cases (135 active), SD&G 1,029 cases (51 active), Cornwall 1,188 cases (97 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 320 cases (18 active).
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit area added 12 cases Wednesday to bring the regional total to 1,604 confirmed cases, of which 60 are active (one fewer than Tuesday) and 1,485 are recovered (13 more than Tuesday). The number of deaths to date is 59. Three people are in hospital (one fewer than Tuesday) with one in ICU (no change). There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 347 cases (27 active), Lanark County West 371 cases (seven active), Leeds-Grenville Central 180 cases (10 active), Leeds-Grenville East 308 cases (13 active) and Leeds-Grenville West 178 cases (three active).
- Vaccines: Ontario 4,907,203 (+116,173, last update April 28); EOHU 54,029 (last update April 27, +235 from previous update April 26); LGL 39,119 individuals with at least 1 shot (last update April 26, +6,855 from previous update April 19).
- Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced Wednesday that workers will get three paid sick days if they have to take time off to isolate during the pandemic due to COVID-19. The province will reimburse employers up to $200 a day. The program will be administered by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and will be retroactive to April 19 and end Sept. 25.
- Health Minister Christine Elliott has announced an amendment to an emergency order allowing the province to temporarily transfer people from hospital to any long-term care home without consent but only if there’s a major hospital surge event anticipated. Elliott says the people being transferred are in a situation where they don’t need hospital care but are waiting for their preferred long-term care location.
- Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk says long-term care homes were poorly prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. In her special report, Lysyk says the province failed to learn from the SARS crisis. Nearly 3,800 residents and 11 staff have died from the disease.
- While many pandemic-related fines are being handed out in Manitoba, the province has only collected about 10 per cent of the anticipated money. The justice department says there’s been $1.7 million in fines issued but only $163,000 has come in.
- B.C. has amended its employment legislation to allow workers up to three hours of paid leave to get a COVID-19 vaccine. It covers both full-time and part-time employees.
- The provinces and territories should be receiving Moderna shipments in the next few days. Around 650,000 doses arrived at Toronto’s Pearson Airport. It’s about half the delivery Canada was expecting, which the company blames on production issues. Meantime, 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine also arrived Wednesday and should be going out next week.
- Nearly 3,300 more people died Wednesday in India as the country deals with a massive surge of coronavirus. Over 200,000 people have now died – the fourth country in the world to cross that threshold. The health care system is overwhelmed and oxygen is a commodity widely sought after by residents desperately trying to save loved ones.
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