Newswatch COVID-19 Digest: Wednesday September 29, 2021

Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Wednesday, September 29, 2021:

  • There have been 585,007 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 466 cases from the previous day (277 unvaccinated, 27 partially, 119 fully vaccinated, 43 unknown). There have been 570,030 people recovered from the virus while 9,715 have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 18,000,974 of which 19,835 have pending results.
  • Canada’s coronavirus case total is 1,615,859. The country has 27,754 deaths from the virus – nine in the Yukon, five in the Northwest Territories, four in Nunavut, 1,942 in British Columbia, 2,663 in Alberta, 682 in Saskatchewan, 1,211 in Manitoba, 9,715 in Ontario, 11,362 in Quebec, 56 in New Brunswick, eight in Newfoundland & Labrador and 97 in Nova Scotia.
  • The Eastern Ontario Health Unit area added four cases Tuesday – one each in Prescott-Russell and SD&G and two in Cornwall – to bring the regional total to 5,296 confirmed cases, of which 160 are active (33 fewer than Monday) and 5,023 are resolved (37 more than Monday). The number of deaths is 113. There are nine people in hospital (one more than Monday) and four in the ICU (no change from Monday). There are eight institutional outbreaks (no change from Monday)(six schools, one daycare and one at the Cornwall Community Hospital). Testing increased 564 to 158,626. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 2,144 cases (33 active), SD&G 1,239 cases (22 active), Cornwall 1,520 cases (93 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 393 cases (12 active)(Akwesasne health department reports three new cases Tuesday: 415 total cases, 18 active).
  • The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added one case Tuesday to bring the regional total to 1,884 confirmed cases, of which 15 are active (one fewer than Monday) and 1,809 are recovered (two more than Monday). There are 60 deaths to date. There are two people in hospital (one fewer than Monday), none in ICU or on a ventilator. There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 415 cases (four active), Lanark County West 421 cases (one active), Leeds-Grenville Central 223 cases (six active), Leeds-Grenville East 387 cases (three active), Leeds-Grenville West 209 cases (zero active) and Unknown/Out of Region 21 cases (one active).
  • Vaccines: Ontario 21,704,159 (+31,855, last update Sept. 28); EOHU 310,145 (last update Sept. 28, +572 from previous update Sept. 27); LGL 145,254 individuals living in LGL with first doses, 136,562 with second doses (last update Sept. 21, +1,511 first doses, +1,404 second doses since previous update Sept. 14).
  • The LGL District Health Unit says it’s hit a “significant milestone” with 90 per cent of eligible residents 12 and older getting a COVID-19 vaccine. The health unit claims it’s the first in the province to reach the benchmark of nine in 10 residents fully vaccinated.
  • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says there’s a pressing need to get children under 12 vaccinated and his government Is ensuring the immunization task force and Health Canada are going over any data made available. Across the border, the FDA is reviewing Pfizer’s data for children five to 11. Trudeau also announced that high on the priority list is to get a law in place making it a requirement for most travellers to be fully vaccinated to travel on planes, trains and cruise ships.
  • As Alberta and Saskatchewan deal with continued surges of coronavirus cases, Trudeau says the federal government will be ready to help, which could include economic support if there’s more lockdowns.
  • Five regions of British Columbia have restrictions in place as the province is dealing with spiking COVID-19 cases in those areas. The areas are in the eastern Fraser Valley.
  • The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) wants long-term care home to give booster shots to residents right away. There’s concern the Delta variant will cause outbreaks and immunity from the vaccine is wearing off in older people. Quebec is already planned to at the end of next month while Alberta is giving third doses to First Nation long-term care homes.

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.