Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Monday, September 13, 2021:
- There have been 574,619 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 784 cases from the previous day (475 unvaccinated, 66 partially, 182 fully vaccinated, 61 unknown). There were 848 cases Friday and 857 Saturday. There have been 558,759 people recovered from the virus while 9,611 have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 17,526,890 of which 9,122 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total on Friday was 1,538,093. The country has 27,170 deaths from the virus – nine in the Yukon, one in the Northwest Territories, four in Nunavut, 1,856 in British Columbia, 2,444 in Alberta, 617 in Saskatchewan, 1,200 in Manitoba, 9,590 in Ontario, 11,301 in Quebec, 47 in New Brunswick, seven in Newfoundland & Labrador and 94 in Nova Scotia. Statistics will be updated at 7:30 p.m. tonight.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit area had a net addition of five cases Friday – six added in SD&G and one removed in Cornwall – to bring the regional total to 4,966 confirmed cases, of which 68 are active (15 fewer than Thursday) and 4,786 are resolved (20 more than Thursday). The number of deaths is 112. There are two people in hospital (one fewer than Thursday) and one in the ICU (no change). There are no institutional outbreaks. Testing increased 320 to 152,736. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 2,068 cases (29 active), SD&G 1,189 cases (21 active), Cornwall 1,339 cases (15 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 370 cases (three active).
- Numbers from the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne’s health department (not reflected in EOHU stats above) show six new positive cases reported Friday to bring the number of active cases in the northern portion of the territory to eight. The total number of cases to date is 377. The number of eligible people vaccinated is just shy of 26 per cent.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added one case Friday to bring the regional total to 1,826 confirmed cases, of which 14 are active (one more than Thursday) and 1,752 are recovered (no change from Thursday). There are 60 deaths to date. There is no one in hospital. There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 397 cases (two active), Lanark County West 416 cases (two active), Leeds-Grenville Central 216 cases (three active), Leeds-Grenville East 363 cases (six active), Leeds-Grenville West 206 cases (zero active) and Unknown/Out of Region 20 cases (one active).
- Vaccines: Ontario 21,167,527 (+29,182, last update Sept. 12); EOHU 299,653 (last update Sept. 10, +801 from previous update Sept. 9); LGL 142,665 individuals living in LGL with first doses, 133,916 with second doses (last update Sept. 7, +1,162 first doses, +1,435 second doses since previous update Aug. 31).
- Across the river, St. Lawrence County (which includes Massena, Potsdam and Canton) added 87 newly confirmed cases Friday to bring the total to 9,319 cases. There are 589 active cases in the county with most of them in Canton (114), Ogdensburg (75), Massena (53) and Potsdam (49). There are 31 people in hospital and 108 people have died to date. A little less than 52 per cent of the county’s nearly 112,000 residents are vaccinated.
- The southern portion of Akwesasne had five new cases Friday to bring the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal area to 20 active cases. There are 16 people isolated or in quarantine. There have been a total of 406 cases since the pandemic began and three people have died. The vaccination rate for tribal members 12 and older is 49.2 per cent.
- A hospital in Lewis County, N.Y., southeast of Watertown, will stop delivering babies later this month because so many employees have resigned over COVID-19 vaccination requirements. A half dozen workers in the maternity ward quit rather than getting the shot. The hospital, which was already short on staff, warns it may have to cut back services in five other departments if more workers resign.
- While the Delta variant, first discovered in India, continues to sweep through North America, three U.S. studies show the COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in keeping people alive and out of hospitals. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you are 4.5 times more likely to be infected, 10 times more likely to end up in hospital and 11 times more likely to die if you’re not vaccinated.
- COVID-19 cases among U.S. children under the age of 17 are on the rise, according to infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. He says there are more cases that require hospitalization in areas where vaccination rates are low.
- Even though the World Health Organization has asked for a moratorium on third shots until poorer countries can give vaccines to their people, Ontario is still giving booster shots to people with compromised immune systems. Health Minister Christine Elliott’s office says 14,500 third doses have been administered.
- People in Britain won’t need to have their vaccine passports to enter nightclubs and other crowded events in England. The word from Britain’s health secretary comes after opposition from Conservative government supporters in Parliament. But the rule could change if cases start to spike again.
- The Toronto Raptors will be playing again in their hometown. The National Basketball Association team has been given the go-ahead to play at Scotiabank Arena this season after spending last season in Tampa, Fla. Their first preseason game is Oct. 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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.