Here are the latest local, regional and national coronavirus headlines (COVID-19) for Tuesday, January 11, 2022:
- Public Health Ontario reported 12 new deaths on Monday, bringing the total to 10,378. There are 2,467 people in hospital (roughly 10 per cent of hospitals not reporting weekend bed census), 438 in ICU (up 26 from the previous day) and 234 on a ventilator (up eight from the previous day). Although PHO reported 9,706 new cases Monday, the statistic is likely lower than the number of infections given the limited testing in Ontario. The total case count is 888,297 cases.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total (as of 9 a.m. Jan. 10) is 2,539,930. The country has 30,788 deaths from the virus – 15 in the Yukon, 12 in the Northwest Territories, four in Nunavut, 2,439 in British Columbia, 3,338 in Alberta, 961 in Saskatchewan, 1,408 in Manitoba, 10,366 in Ontario, 11,940 in Quebec, 172 in New Brunswick, 21 in Newfoundland & Labrador and 112 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit had 575 newly reported cases over the weekend to bring the regional total Monday to 10,654 confirmed cases, of which 3,211 are active (404 more than Friday) and 7,308 are resolved (171 more than Friday). Due to limited testing, the numbers of cases locally are likely higher than what is being reported. The number of deaths to date is 135 (no change). There are 45 people in hospital (19 more than Friday) and three in the ICU (no change from Friday). There are 32 institutional outbreaks (no change from Friday; 29 long-term care or group homes and three daycare centers). Testing increased 129 to 181,922. The breakdown of cases is: Prescott-Russell 4,141 cases (1,328 active), SD&G 2,595 cases (843 active), Cornwall 3,228 cases (1,109 active) and Akwesasne (ON/QC) 690 cases (21 active)(Akwesasne health department reported 21 new cases Monday: 715 cases, 11 active, 12 deaths to date).
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit added 151 cases Monday to bring the regional total to 4,604 cases, of which 1,698 are active (89 more than Friday) and 2,839 are recovered (62 more than Friday). Due to limited testing, the numbers of cases locally are likely higher than what is being reported. The number of deaths to date is 67. There are 18 people in hospital (one more than Friday), five in the ICU (one more than Friday) and none on a ventilator (one fewer than Friday). There are nine active institutional outbreaks (three more than Friday: Kemptville Retirement Living (new), Carleton Place Terrace (new), St. Lawrence Lodge (new), Fairview Manor, Rosebridge Manor, Perth Community Care, Brockville Mental Health Center, Bridlewood Manor, Lanark Lodge). The community case breakdown is: Lanark County East 871 cases (321 active), Lanark County West 930 cases (313 active), Leeds-Grenville Central 797 cases (316 active), Leeds-Grenville East 977 cases (402 active), Leeds-Grenville West 721 cases (299 active) and Unknown/Out of Region 94 cases (46 active).
- Vaccines: Ontario 28,551,554 (+93,741, last update Jan. 10); EOHU 406,748 (last update Jan. 10, +4,681 from previous update Jan. 7); LGL 158,957 individuals living in LGL with first doses, 150,124 with second doses, 57,867 with third doses. (last update Jan. 2, +370 first doses, +136 second doses, +9,964 third doses since previous update Dec. 26).
- Across the river in St. Lawrence County (which includes Massena, Potsdam and Canton), there were 883 new coronavirus cases added Monday bringing the total case count to 20,019. There are 1,863 active cases in the county with most in Massena (209), Potsdam (204), Canton (172) and Ogdensburg (123). There are 31 people in hospital. The number is deaths is at 161. The county has an average positivity rate of 13.5 per cent. Just under 59 per cent of St. Lawrence County’s 112,000 residents are vaccinated.
- With the extreme cold sweeping the seaway region, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe has moved its handout of rapid test kits and on-site testing to Wednesday. They were originally supposed to be distributed to southern Akwesasne residents today (Tuesday) at the Health Services Testing Garage on State Route 37. The National Weather Service has a wind chill warning for the Hogansburg, N.Y. area with dangerous wind chill as cold as 35 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (minus 37 Celsius).
- Children will be returning to school in Ontario on Monday, Jan. 17. That’s according to several Toronto media outlets, citing a senior government source. The government has said it would be at least that date before students return but there’s been no official announcement.
- B.C. and Alberta have thrown the doors open to schools despite the spread of the Omicron variant. Keeping those schools open will be a challenge but the head of the B.C. School Trustees Association believes the schools can work on their experience entering the third year of the pandemic.
- Hospitalizations are climbing in Manitoba. The number of people in hospital Monday was 378 – an increase of 81 from Friday. The government is keeping a number of safety restrictions in place and schools were moved to remote learning this week.
- The top priority of Americans doesn’t appear to be the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey by the Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that more people thought the economy (68 per cent) was more important for the government to tackle in 2022 versus COVID-19 (37 per cent).
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.