
Here are the latest local, regional and national headlines on the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for Thursday, December 2, 2021:
- There have been 619,270 confirmed cases of COVID-19 across Ontario, an increase of 780 cases from the previous day (VAX: 369 unvaccinated, 24 partially vaccinated, 336 fully vaccinated, 51 unknown). There have been 602,515 people recovered from the virus while 10,005 have died. The number of Ontario people tested is 19,811,701 of which 16,736 have pending results.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total is 1,795,629. The country has 29,714 deaths from the virus – 13 in the Yukon, 12 in the Northwest Territories, four in Nunavut, 2,340 in British Columbia, 3,255 in Alberta, 927 in Saskatchewan, 1,321 in Manitoba, 10,005 in Ontario, 11,581 in Quebec, 128 in New Brunswick, 18 in Newfoundland & Labrador and 110 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit added seven cases Wednesday to bring the regional total to 6,088 confirmed cases, of which 95 are active (nine fewer than Tuesday) and 5,862 are resolved (16 more than Tuesday). The number of deaths to date is 131. There are three people in hospital (one more than Tuesday) and one in the ICU (one more than Tuesday). There is one institutional outbreak (no change from Tuesday). Testing increased 250 to 173,763. Due to technical difficulties, the EOHU did not have a geographic breakdown of total cases and active cases. (Akwesasne health department reported six new cases Tuesday: 566 total cases, 14 active, nine deaths to date).
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added three cases Wednesday to bring the regional total to 2,084 confirmed cases, of which 26 are active (no change from Tuesday) and 1,994 are recovered (three more than Tuesday). The number of deaths to date is 64. There are four people in hospital (one more than Tuesday) and two in the ICU (one more than Tuesday). There are no active institutional outbreaks. The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 452 cases (six active), Lanark County West 477 cases (six active), Leeds-Grenville Central 265 cases (seven active), Leeds-Grenville East 415 cases (four active), Leeds-Grenville West 241 cases (three active) and Unknown/Out of Region 27 cases (zero active).
- Vaccines: Ontario 22,978,037 (+27,129, last update Nov. 30, data was not available Dec. 1 due to PHO technical issues); EOHU 340,766 (last update Dec. 1, +1,074 from previous update Nov. 30); 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).
- Cases in South Africa nearly doubled in one day to 8,561 from just under 4,400. It’s seen as a dramatic surge in an area where the Omicron variant was detected last week.
- The federal public safety minister says no decisions have been made on testing for travellers coming into Canada from the U.S. by air or land. Marco Medicino says they are awaiting further guidance on whether to expand restrictions. The federal government announced Tuesday that all air travellers entering Canada will have to take a molecular test and then self-isolate at home until they receive their results.
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is consulting with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization on booster shot rollout. Trudeau says the country has plenty of doses for boosters. Some medical experts are still unclear on whether the general population needs a third shot.
- The Upper Canada District School Board reported cases Wednesday associated with the TR Leger School Alexandria campus and Carleton Place High School. The board says the person at TR Leger wasn’t at school while infectious while contact tracing has taken place at the Carleton Place school. Both schools are running normally.
- A University of Florida study has found an increased risk of dying in the 12 months following a severe bout of COVID-19. The study followed 13,000 patients. The study suggests people with severe COVID were left weak and vulnerable and died from a wide number of issues other that breathing complications.
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