Here are the latest local, regional and national coronavirus headlines (COVID-19) for Monday, January 24, 2022:
- Public Health Ontario reported 62 deaths on Friday, 47 on Saturday and 57 on Sunday, bringing the total to 10,968. There are 3,797 people in hospital (~10 per cent of hospitals not reporting weekend bed census), 604 in ICU (up four from the previous day) and 375 on a ventilator (down three from the previous day). Although PHO reported 5,833 new cases Sunday, the statistic is likely lower than the number of infections given the limited testing in Ontario. The total case count is 996,665 cases.
- Canada’s coronavirus case total (as of 9 a.m. Jan. 21) is 2,868,862. The country has 32,220 deaths from the virus – 15 in the Yukon, 13 in the Northwest Territories, five in Nunavut, 2,520 in British Columbia, 3,421 in Alberta, 961 in Saskatchewan, 1,485 in Manitoba, 10,801 in Ontario, 12,639 in Quebec, 199 in New Brunswick, 30 in Newfoundland & Labrador and 128 in Nova Scotia.
- In an interim report Friday as it works to update its website, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit had 36 people in hospital (one fewer than Thursday) with nine in the ICU (two more than Thursday). The number of deaths to date is 149 (nine more than Thursday). There are 40 institutional outbreaks (two fewer than Thursday). Positivity from limited testing in high-risk populations is 20.3 per cent (no change). The total active case count is 3,204 (up nine from Thursday). The health unit notes that with testing limited to high-risk individuals the number of cases in the region are likely much higher than reported. Public Health Ontario says the cumulative case total for the region as of Sunday is 11,943. Around 87 per cent of the population five and older have a first dose, 81 per cent have their second doses and just under 49 per cent have their third dose of vaccine.
- The Akwesasne health department reported two new cases Friday: 753 cases, nine active, 12 deaths to date.
- The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit has 22 people in hospital (two more than Wednesday), seven in the ICU (no change from Wednesday) and two on a ventilator (no change from Wednesday). The number of deaths to date is 73 (three more than Wednesday). There were 139 cases added since Wednesday 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 as of Sunday is 5,243. There are 19 lab-confirmed outbreaks in congregate care, communal living and other facilities (three more than Wednesday). A partial list of active institutional outbreaks.
- Vaccines: Ontario 30,056,293 (+79,025, last update Jan. 23); 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 Brockville General Hospital has declared a coronavirus outbreak in its 2 East Inpatient Medical Surgical Unit on Friday. The unit is now under quarantine after “several positive cases of COVID-19 amongst patients and one staff,” the hospital said. CEO Nick Vlacholias says the hospital has done a good job over the last two years to curtail spread in hospital but the facility is not immune to Omicron.
- Is being “fully vaccinated” two shots or three? Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam says talks with the provinces and territories are in the works about what that term means exactly.
- Across Canada, more than 10,000 people a day were being treated for COVID-19 in hospital. That’s surpasses the peak daily numbers of all previous waves of the pandemic.
- Even a country’s leader isn’t above coronavirus restrictions. The prime minister of New Zealand says she’s postponing her own wedding, which was supposed to take place next weekend, as Jacinda Ardern’s country is in a “red setting” with mask requirements and limits on public gatherings. A wedding earlier this month in New Zealand has been declared an Omicron super spreader event.
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