Here are the latest local, regional and national coronavirus headlines (COVID-19) for Wednesday, January 19, 2022:
- Public Health Ontario reported 37 new deaths on Tuesday, bringing the total to 10,666. There are 4,183 people in hospital (all hospitals reporting), 580 in ICU (up two from the previous day) and 337 on a ventilator (down six from the previous day). Although PHO reported 7,086 new cases Tuesday, the statistic is likely lower than the number of infections given the limited testing in Ontario. The total case count is 963,693 cases.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total (as of 9 a.m. Jan. 18) is 2,801,451. The country has 31,679 deaths from the virus – 15 in the Yukon, 13 in the Northwest Territories, four in Nunavut, 2,490 in British Columbia, 3,403 in Alberta, 961 in Saskatchewan, 1,463 in Manitoba, 10,628 in Ontario, 12,364 in Quebec, 189 in New Brunswick, 26 in Newfoundland & Labrador and 121 in Nova Scotia.
- The Eastern Ontario Health Unit had no COVID-19 data to share Tuesday. It says it’s “developing a new dashboard to better reflect the new realities of the pandemic.” Public Health Ontario says the EOHU recorded 72 new cases on Monday and 135 on Sunday. The cumulative total case count is 11,347 or 5,256 cases per 100,000 people. Currently 87 per cent of the population five and older have a first dose of vaccine, 81 per cent have their second dose and just over 78,000 third doses have be administered.
- The Akwesasne health department case count as of Friday (Jan. 14): 740 cases, 16 active, 12 deaths to date.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit has 21 people in hospital with five in the ICU and two on a ventilator. The number of deaths to date is 67. There were 150 cases added Monday but due to limited testing, the number of cases locally is likely higher than what is being reported. Local case numbers are updated Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Public Health Ontario says the cumulative case count for the region is 4,969. There are 16 lab-confirmed outbreaks in congregate care, communal living and other facilities. A partial list of active institutional outbreaks.
- Vaccines: Ontario 29,561,731 (+39,418, last update Jan. 18); EOHU 414,437 (last update Jan. 14, +2,730 from previous update Jan. 13); LGL 160,298 individuals living in LGL with first doses, 151,149 with second doses, 84,488 with third doses. (last update Jan. 16, +680 first doses, +631 second doses, +12,012 third doses since previous update Jan. 9).
- The Cornwall Community Hospital says it’s treating the most people for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. There are 45 COVID-19 patients in the hospital and “nearly half” of its 11 bed ICU is filled with coronavirus sufferers – many unvaccinated. The hospital is also dealing with staff off sick with 33 employees currently “at home with COVID-19.”
- If you were supposed to get a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday in Casselman, Rockland or Winchester but it was cancelled, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit says it’s adding appointments to make up for the ones that were cancelled. You can also go to any of the walk-in clinics and present proof you were supposed to get the shot on Jan. 17. In some cases, you may be given a scheduled time to get your needle.
- Gyms are being allowed to reopen in B.C. It’s being seen as a cautious step by the province’s top doctor. Dr. Bonnie Henry says people will have to show proof of vaccination. Other restrictions put in place in December will stay in place until at least Feb. 16.
- Canada’s chief public health officer says the latest evidence seems to suggest that the Omicron variant is just as contagious for the same amount of time as other variants of the virus. Dr. Theresa Tam says shorting isolation periods must only be done with strong masking and testing measures in place.
- Quebec Health Minister Christian Dube says the rate of hospitalizations are slowing down in the province but the health care system is still too fragile to lift public health measures. The province had 89 more deaths on Tuesday.
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