Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Wednesday, December 1, 2021:
- There have been 618,490 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 687 cases from the previous day (VAX: 310 unvaccinated, 19 partially vaccinated, 308 fully vaccinated, 50 unknown). There have been 601,550 people recovered from the virus while 10,000 have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 19,776,337 of which 15,824 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 1,792,500. The country has 29,687 deaths from the virus – 13 in the Yukon, 12 in the Northwest Territories, four in Nunavut, 2,333 in British Columbia, 3,248 in Alberta, 926 in Saskatchewan, 1,319 in Manitoba, 10,000 in Ontario, 11,579 in Quebec, 125 in New Brunswick, 18 in Newfoundland & Labrador and 110 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit added no new cases Tuesday to remain at a regional total of 6,081 confirmed cases, of which 104 are active (nine fewer than Monday) and 5,846 are resolved (nine more than Monday). The number of deaths to date is 131. There are two people in hospital (two more than Monday) and none in the ICU (no change from Monday). There is one institutional outbreak (no change from Monday). Testing increased 344 to 173,513. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 2,283 cases (six active), SD&G 1,420 cases (34 active), Cornwall 1,865 cases (45 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 513 cases (19 active)(Akwesasne health department report as of Monday: 557 total cases, 13 active, nine deaths to date).
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added seven cases Tuesday to bring the regional total to 2,081 confirmed cases, of which 26 are active (three more than Monday) and 1,991 are recovered (four more than Monday). The number of deaths to date is 64. There are three people in hospital (one more than Monday) and one in the ICU (one more than Monday). There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 451 cases (five active), Lanark County West 476 cases (six active), Leeds-Grenville Central 264 cases (seven active), Leeds-Grenville East 415 cases (four active), Leeds-Grenville West 241 cases (four active) and Unknown/Out of Region 27 cases (zero active).
- Vaccines: Ontario 22,978,037 (+27,129, last update Nov. 30); EOHU 339,692 (last update Nov. 30, +669 from previous update Nov. 29); LGL 152,741 individuals living in LGL with first doses, 148,736 with second doses, 7,793 with third doses. (last update Nov. 28, +1,105 first doses, +817 second doses, +2,400 third doses since previous update Nov. 23).
- The federal government is adding sweeping new travel rules as the world deals with the new Omicron variant. Travellers arriving in Canada, regardless of their vaccination status, will have to take a PCR test on arrival at the airport and self-isolate at home until their results come back. The only exemption is for flights returning from the United States. The timeline for when the measures come into effect is not clear.
- People who went to one Carleton Place car dealership in the last two and a half weeks may have been exposed to COVID-19. The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit is telling anyone who went to Bean Chevrolet Buick GMC on McNeely Avenue from Nov. 13 to Nov. 27 to monitor for symptoms and get tested.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit is holding walk-in clinics to vaccinate children ages five to 11 and members of their household. The clinics are taking place for the next three weekends at six schools. The first one is at Seaway District High School in Iroquois on Saturday. A clinic at Char-Lan in Williamstown is on Dec. 12 and at St. Lawrence Secondary School in Cornwall on Dec. 18.
- France and Japan have their first cases of the Omicron variant. New findings from the Netherlands indicate the variant of concern was in Europe about a week before it was warnings went out in South Africa. Samples from Nov. 19 contained Omicron. There are five confirmed cases in Canada as of Tuesday.
- After recovering from COVID-19, women are more likely to experience more fatigue than men and are more likely to have post-COVID syndrome. That’s based on a study by the Mayo Clinic and Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
- B.C. has its first case of the Omicron variant. The affected person recently returned from Nigeria, according to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. While it doesn’t have any positive cases, 40 people in Saskatchewan who recently travelled from southern Africa are under quarantine.
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